Sample records for ac electrokinetic micropumps

An AC Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump has been demonstrated in which the Lorentz force is used to propel an electrolytic solution along a microchannel etched in silicon. This micropump has no moving parts, produces a continuous (not pulsatile) flow, and is compatible with solutions containing biological specimens. micropump, using the Lorentz force as the pumping mechanism for biological analysis. The AC Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump investigated produces a continuous flow and allows for complex microchannel design.

We have explored the role of electrokinetics in the spontaneous motion of platinum-gold nanorods suspended in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solutions that may arise from the bimetallic electrochemical decomposition of H2O2. The electrochemical decomposition pathway was confirmed by measuring the steady-state short-circuit current between platinum and gold interdigitated microelectrodes (IMEs) in the presence of H2O2. The resulting ion flux from platinum to gold implies an electric field in the surrounding solution that can be estimated from Ohm's Law. This catalytically generated electric field could in principle bring about electrokinetic effects that scale with the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation. Accordingly, we observed a linear relationship between bimetallic rod speed and the resistivity of the bulk solution. Previous observations relating a decrease in speed to an increase in ethanol concentration can be explained in terms of a decrease in current density caused by the presence of ethanol. Furthermore, we found that the catalytically generated electric field in the solution near a Pt/Au IME in the presence of H2O2 is capable of inducing electroosmotic fluid flow that can be switched on and off externally. We demonstrate that the velocity of the fluid flow in the plane of the IME is a function of the electric field, whether catalytically generated or applied from an external current source. Our findings indicate that the motion of PtAu nanorods in H2O2 is primarily due to a catalytically induced electrokinetic phenomenon and that other mechanisms, such as those related to interfacial tension gradients, play at best a minor role. PMID:17105298

In this thesis, microelectrode arrays of micropumps have been designed, fabricated and characterized for transporting microfluid by AC electro-osmosis (ACEO). In particular, the 3D stepped electrode design which shows superior performance to others in literature is adopted for making micropumps, and the performance of such devices has been studied and explored. A novel fabrication process has also been developed in the work, realizing 3D stepped electrodes on a flexible substrate, which is suitable for biomedical use, for example glaucoma implant. There are three major contributions to ACEO pumping in the work. First, a novel design of 3D "T-shaped" discrete electrode arrays was made using PolyMUMPsRTM process. The breakthrough of this work was discretizing the continuous 3D stepped electrodes which were commonly seen in the past research. The "T-shaped" electrodes did not only create ACEO flows on the top surfaces of electrodes but also along the side walls between separated electrodes. Secondly, four 3D stepped electrode arrays were designed, fabricated and tested. It was found from the experiment that PolyMUMPsRTM ACEO electrodes usually required a higher driving voltage than gold electrodes for operation. It was also noticed that a simulation based on the modified model taking into account the surface oxide of electrodes showed a better agreement with the experimental results. It thus demonstrated the possibility that the surface oxide of electrodes had impact on fluidic pumping. This methodology could also be applied to metal electrodes with a native oxide layer such as titanium and aluminum. Thirdly, a prototype of the ACEO pump with 3D stepped electrode arrays was first time realized on a flexible substrate using Kapton polyimide sheets and packaged with PDMS encapsulants. Comprehensive experimental testing was also conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties as well as the pumping performance. The experimental findings indicated that this fabrication

Rapid cell separation and collection is demonstrated through the integration of electrokinetic pumps, dielectrophoretic (DEP) traps and field driven valves into a well designed microfluidic channel loop. We present the ground-up design and analysis of this fully functional microfluidic device for the rapid separation and collection of live and dead yeast cells and malaria red blood cells (RBCs) at low concentrations. DEP cell sorting and concentration schemes are based on the exploitation of cell specific DEP crossover frequencies (cof's). A rigorous DEP study of yeast and RBCs is presented and used to determine optimal conditions for cell separation. By utilizing a glutaraldehyde crosslinking cell fixation reaction that is sensitive to cell membrane protein concentration, we demonstrate the ability to further amplify these differences between healthy and unhealthy cells as well as stabilize their DEP cof's. Pumping is achieved with a new type of electrokinetic flow, AC electrothermal electro-osmosis (ETEO) and is shown to scale inversely with the field induced debye length and drive fluid velocities in excess of 6 mm/sec. The well characterized electrokinetic phenomena are integrated into a microchannel loop with a specifically designed electrode field penetration length for low concentration cell separation and concentration.

An array of microelectrodes covered in an electrolyte and energized by a traveling-wave potential produces net movement of the fluid. Arrays of platinum microelectrodes of two different characteristic sizes have been studied. For both sizes of arrays, at low voltages (<2 V pp) the electrolyte flow is in qualitative agreement with the linear theory of ac electroosmosis. At voltages above a threshold, the direction of fluid flow is reversed. The electrical impedance of the electrode-electrolyte system was measured after the experiments, and changes in the electrical properties of the electrolyte were observed. Measurements of the electrical current during pumping of the electrolyte are also reported. Transient behaviors in both electrical current and fluid velocity were observed. The Faradaic currents probably generate conductivity gradients in the liquid bulk, which in turn give rise to electrical forces. These effects are discussed in relation to the fluid flow observations. PMID:18672919

Highlights: ► Se nanoparticles were synthesized using a reverse-microemulsion process. ► AC osmotic fluid flow repulses the particles from electrode edges. ► Dielectrophoretic force attracts the particles to electrode edges. ► Dielectrophoresis electrode showed non-ohmic behavior. ► The device can potentially be used as a nanosensor. - Abstract: We report the ACelectrokinetic behavior of selenium (Se) nanoparticles for electrical characterization and possible application as micro/nano devices. selenium Se nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a reverse-microemulsion process and investigated structurally using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Interdigitated castellated ITO and non-castellated platinum electrodes were employed for manipulation of suspended materials in the fluid. Using ITO electrodes at low frequency limits resulted in deposition of Se particles on electrode surface. When Se particles exposed to platinum electrodes in the 10 Hz–1 kHz range and V {sub p−p}> 8, AC osmotic fluid flow repulses the particles from electrode edges. However, in 10 kHz–10 MHz range and V {sub p−p}> 5, dielectrophoretic force attracts the particles to electrode edges. As the Se particle concentration increased, the trapped Se particles were aligned along the electric field line and bridged the electrode gap. The device was characterized and can potentially be useful in making micro/nano electronic devices.

This paper presents a numerical study of DC-biased AC-electrokinetic (DC-biased ACEK) flow over a pair of symmetrical electrodes. The flow mechanism is based on a transverse conductivity gradient created through incipient Faradaic reactions occurring at the electrodes when a DC-bias is applied. The DC biased AC electric field acting on this gradient generates a fluid flow in the form of vortexes. To understand more in depth the DC-biased ACEK flow mechanism, a phenomenological model is developed to study the effects of voltage, conductivity ratio, channel width, depth, and aspect ratio on the induced flow characteristics. It was found that flow velocity on the order of mm/s can be produced at higher voltage and conductivity ratio. Such rapid flow velocity is one of the highest reported in microsystems technology using electrokinetics. PMID:22662084

One major motivation for microfluidic research is to develop point of care diagnostic tools, which often demands a solution for chip-scale pumping that is of low cost, small size and light weight. Electrokinetics has been extensively studied for disposable pumping since only electrodes are needed to induce microflows. However, it encounters difficulties with conductive biofluids because of the associated high salt content. In electrokinetic pumps, electrodes are in direct contact with fluid, so high salt content will compress the electric double layer that is essential to electroosmostic flows. Alternating current electrothermal (ACET) effect is the only electrokinetic method found viable for biofluid actuation. While high frequency (>10 kHz) operation can suppress electrochemical reactions, electrical potential that could be applied over biofluids is still limited within several volts due to risk of electrolysis or impedance mismatch. Since ACET flow velocity has a quartic dependence on the voltage, ACET flows would be rather slow if electric field alone is used for actuation. This work studies the effect of a thermal bias on enhancing ACelectrokinetic pumping. With proper imposition of external thermal gradients, significant improvement in flow velocity has been demonstrated by numerical simulation and preliminary experiments. Both showed that with 4 V(rms) at 100 kHz, flow velocity increased from ~10 μm/s when there was no thermal biasing to ~112 μm/s when a heat flux was applied. PMID:22932955

We demonstrate a rapid generation of twin opposing microvortices (TOMVs) induced by non-uniform alternating current (AC) electric fields together with a laser beam on a patterned pair of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. A fast and strong jet flow region between twin microvortices is also generated. Its pattern and direction, such as whether it is symmetric or asymmetric, are controlled mainly by the location of a single laser spot relative to the ITO electrodes. With two laser beams, two separate flows are superposed to give a new one. In situ generation and control of the TOMV flow are tested in suspensions of fluorescent polystyrene particles, as well as in milk emulsions. This technique has great potential for dynamically manipulating micro-fluid flows, functioning as a micro-pump or mixer. PMID:23380888

We have developed 2 different micropumping methods for transporting ionic fluids through microchannels. The first method is based on Induced Charge Electroosmosis (ICEO) and AC flow field-effect. We used an AC electric field to produce a symmetric ICEO flow on a planar electrode, called `gate'. In order to break the symmetry of ICEO, we applied an additional AC voltage to the gate electrode. Such modulation of the gate potential is called field effect and produces a unidirectional pumping over the gate surface. We used micro PIV to measure pumping velocities for a range of ionic concentration, AC frequency and gate voltage. We have also conducted numerical simulations to understand the deteriorating effect of lateral conduction of surface charge on the pumping velocities. The second method is based on vibration of a flexible PDMS diaphragm actuated by an electrorheological (ER) fluid. ER fluid is a colloidal suspension exhibiting a reversible liquid-to-solid transition under an electric field. This liquid-to-solid transition can yield very high shear stress and can be used to open and close a PDMS valve. Three such valves were fabricated and actuated in a peristaltic fashion in order to achieve positive displacement pumping of fluids.

A fast and long-range bacteria/virus trap is developed with a dynamical systems approach, by optimizing AC electro-osmotic (ACEO) flow fields on micro-fabricated electrodes. The bacteria are convected to the designated locations three orders of magnitude faster than any motion driven by particle forces. Optimal time-varying flow fields are designed via dynamical system theory by employing the opposite flow directions of capacitive and Faradaic ACEO flows and by judiciously introducing local particle-attracting DEP elements at the converging stagnation lines on the electrodes. The latter elements shift the unstable saddle point of the liquid flow field such that an attracting trap region appears on the electrode for the particle flow field. Time-periodic forcing breaks heteroclinic orbits that bound circulation regions in the bulk sample such that the trap becomes a global attractor. The multi-scale electrode assembly is able to trap most of the bacteria in a ml-sample, with a low CFU count of one thousand per cc, within two minutes. The particle density is increased by four orders of magnitude such that their fluorescent intensity, after molecular tags have been added, is dramatically magnified to allow detection. Virus and nanoparticle trajectories in the micro-fluidic device are imaged with fluorescent imaging.

Microfluidic chips have been fabricated in Pyrex glass to study electrokinetic pumping generated by a low-voltage ac bias applied to an in-channel asymmetric metallic electrode array. A measurement procedure has been established and followed carefully resulting in a high degree of reproducibility of the measurements over several days. A large coverage fraction of the electrode array in the microfluidic channels has led to an increased sensitivity allowing for pumping measurements at low bias voltages. Depending on the ionic concentration a hitherto unobserved reversal of the pumping direction has been measured in a regime, where both the applied voltage and the frequency are low, V(rms)<1.5 V and f<20 kHz , compared to previously investigated parameter ranges. The impedance spectrum has been thoroughly measured and analyzed in terms of an equivalent circuit diagram to rule out trivial circuit explanations of our findings. Our observations agree qualitatively, but not quantitatively, with theoretical electrokinetic models published in the literature. PMID:18233754

ACelectrokinetics (ACEK) has been shown to deliver certain drugs into human teeth more effectively than diffusion. However, using electrical wires to power intraoral ACEK devices poses risks to patients. The study demonstrates a novel interdigitated electrode arrays (IDE) assembly powered by inductive coupling to induce ACEK effects at appropriate frequencies to motivate drugs wirelessly. A signal generator produces the modulating signal, which multiplies with the carrier signal to produce the amplitude modulated (AM) signal. The AM signal goes through the inductive link to appear on the secondary coil, then rectified and filtered to dispose of its carrier signal, and the positive half of the modulating signal appears on the load. After characterizing the device, the device is validated under light microscopy by motivating carboxylate-modified microspheres, tetracycline, acetaminophen, benzocaine, lidocaine and carbamide peroxide particles with induced ACEK effects. The assembly is finally tested in a common dental bleaching application. After applying 35 % carbamide peroxide to human teeth topically or with the IDE at 1200 Hz, 5 Vpp for 20 min, spectrophotometric analysis showed that compared to diffusion, the IDE enhanced whitening in specular optic and specular optic excluded modes by 215 % and 194 % respectively. Carbamide peroxide absorbance by the ACEK group was two times greater than diffusion as measured by colorimetric oxidation-reduction and UV-Vis spectroscopy at 550 nm. The device motivates drugs of variable molecular weight and structure wirelessly. Wireless transport of drugs to intraoral targets under ACEK effects may potentially improve the efficacy and safety of drug delivery in dentistry. PMID:27565821

In this paper, we report on a modeling study of an AC electrothermal (ACET) micropump with high operating pressures as well as fast flow rates. One specific application area is for fluid delivery using microneedle arrays which require higher pressures and faster flow rates than have been previously reported with ACET devices. ACET is very suitable for accurate actuation and control of fluid flow, since the technique has been shown to be very effective in high conductivity fluids and has the ability to create a pulsation free flow. However, ACelectrokinetic pumps usually can only generate low operating pressures of 1 to 100 Pa, where flow reversal is likely to occur with an external load. In order to realize a high performance ACET micropump for continuous fluid delivery, applying relatively high AC operating voltages (20 to 36 Vrms) to silicon substrate ACET actuators and using long serpentine channel allows the boosting of operating pressure as well as increasing the flow rates. Fast pumping flow rates (102-103 nl/s) and high operating pressures (1-12 kPa) can be achieved by applying both methods, making them of significant importance for continuous fluid delivery applications using microneedle arrays and other such biomedical devices.

A novel microstirring strategy is applied to accelerate the digestion rate of the substrate Nα-benzoyl-L-arginine-4-nitroanilide (L-BAPA) catalyzed by sol-gel encapsulated trypsin. We use an ac nonlinear electrokinetic vortex flow to stir the solution in a microfluidic reaction chamber to reduce the diffusion length between the immobilized enzyme and substrate in the solution. High-intensity nonlinear electroosmotic microvortices, with angular speeds in excess of 1 cm∕s, are generated around a small (∼1.2 mm) conductive ion exchange granule when ac electric fields (133 V∕cm) are applied across a miniature chamber smaller than 10 μl. Coupling between these microvortices and the on-and-off electrophoretic motion of the granule in low frequency (0.1 Hz) ac fields produces chaotic stream lines to stir substrate molecules sufficiently. We demonstrate that, within a 5-min digestion period, the catalytic reaction rate of immobilized trypsin increases almost 30-fold with adequate reproducibility (15%) due to sufficient stirring action through the introduction of the nonlinear electrokinetic vortices. In contrast, low-frequency ac electroosmotic flow without the granule, provides limited stirring action and increases the reaction rate approximately ninefold with barely acceptable reproducibility (30%). Dye molecules are used to characterize the increases in solute diffusivity in the reaction reservoir in which sol-gel particles are placed, with and without the presence of granule, and compared with the static case. The solute diffusivity enhancement data show respective increases of ∼30 and ∼8 times, with and without the presence of granule. These numbers are consistent with the ratios of the enhanced reaction rate. PMID:19693360

Lab-on-a-chip devices have over recent years attracted a significant amount of attention in both the academic circle and industry, due to their promise in delivering versatile functionalities with high throughput and low sample amount. Typically, mechanical or electrokineticmicropumps are used in the majority of lab-on-a-chip devices that require powered fluid flow, but the technical challenges and the requirement of external power associated with these pumping devices hinder further development and miniaturization of lab-on-a-chip devices. Self-powered micropumps, especially those powered by chemical reactions, have been recently designed and can potentially address some of these issues. In this review article, we provide a detailed introduction to four types of chemically powered micropumps, with particular focus on their respective structures, operating mechanisms and practical usefulness as well as limitations. We then discuss the various functionalities and controllability demonstrated by these micropumps, ending with a brief discussion of how they can be improved in the future. Due to the absence of external power sources, versatile activation methods and sensitivity to environmental cues, chemically powered micropumps could find potential applications in a wide range of lab-on-a-chip devices. PMID:27102134

The AC electrothermal technique is very promising for biofluid micropumping, due to its ability to pump high conductivity fluids. However, compared to electroosmotic micropumps, a lack of high fluid flow is a disadvantage. In this paper, a novel AC multiple array electrothermal (MAET) micropump, utilizing multiple microelectrode arrays placed on the side-walls of the fluidic channel of the micropump, is introduced. Asymmetric coplanar microelectrodes are placed on all sides of the microfluidic channel, and are actuated in different phases: one, two opposing, two adjacent, three, or all sides at the same time. Micropumps with different combinations of side electrodes and cross sections are numerically investigated in this paper. The effect of the governing parameters with respect to thermal, fluidic, and electrical properties are studied and discussed. To verify the simulations, the AC MAET concept was then fabricated and experimentally tested. The resulted fluid flow achieved by the experiments showed good agreement with the corresponding simulations. The number of side electrode arrays and the actuation patterns were also found to greatly influence the micropump performance. This study shows that the new multiple array electrothermal micropump design can be used in a wide range of applications such as drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip, where high flow rate and high precision micropumping devices for high conductivity fluids are needed. PMID:25713695

The use of optical dielectrophoresis (ODEP) to manipulate microparticles and biological cells has become increasingly popular due to its tremendous flexibility in providing reconfigurable electrode patterns and flow channels. ODEP enables the parallel and free manipulation of small particles on a photoconductive surface on which light is projected, thus eliminating the need for complex electrode design and fabrication processes. In this paper, we demonstrate that mouse cells comprising melan-a cells, RAW 267.4 macrophage cells, peripheral white blood cells and lymphocytes, can be manipulated in an opto-electrokinetics (OEK) device with appropriate DEP parameters. Our OEK device generates a non-rotating electric field and exerts a localized DEP force on optical electrodes. Hitherto, we are the first group to report that among all the cells investigated, melan-a cells, lymphocytes and white blood cells were found to undergo self-rotation in the device in the presence of a DEP force. The rotational speed of the cells depended on the voltage and frequency applied and the cells' distance from the optical center. We discuss a possible mechanism for explaining this new observation of induced self-rotation based on the physical properties of cells. We believe that this rotation phenomenon can be used to identify cell type and to elucidate the dielectric and physical properties of cells. PMID:23320067

An electrokinetic pump in which the porous dielectric medium of conventional electrokinetic pumps is replaced by a patterned microstructure. The patterned microstructure is fabricated by lithographic patterning and etching of a substrate and is formed by features arranged so as to create an array of microchannels. The microchannels have dimensions on the order of the pore spacing in a conventional porous dielectric medium. Embedded unitary electrodes are vapor deposited on either end of the channel structure to provide the electric field necessary for electroosmotic flow.

In this study, a high performance peristaltic micropump has been developed and investigated. The micropump has three cylinder chambers which are connected through micro-channels for high pumping pressure performance. A circular-shaped mini LIPCA has been designed and manufactured for actuating diaphragm. In this LIPCA, a 0.1mm thickness PZT ceramic is used as an active layer. As a result, the actuator has shown to produce large out of plane deflection and consumed low power. During the design process, a coupled field analysis was conducted to predict the actuating behavior of a diaphragm and pumping performance. MEMS technique was used to fabricate the peristaltic micropump. Pumping performance of the present micropump was investigated both numerically and experimentally. The present peristaltic micropump was shown to have higher performance than the same kind of micropump developed else where.

The use of dielectrophoresis to collect particles under the conditions of electrokinetically-driven flow. Dielectrophortic concentration of particles under electrokinetic flow is accomplished by interdigitated electrodes patterned on an inner surface of a microfluid channel, a DC voltage is applied across the ends to the channel, and an AC voltage is applied across the electrodes, and particles swept down the channel electrokinetically are trapped within the field established by the electrodes. The particles can be released when the voltage to the electrodes is released.

A method for altering the surface properties of a particle bed. In application, the method pertains particularly to an electrokinetic pump configuration where nanoparticles are bonded to the surface of the stationary phase to alter the surface properties of the stationary phase including the surface area and/or the zeta potential and thus improve the efficiency and operating range of these pumps. By functionalizing the nanoparticles to change the zeta potential the electrokinetic pump is rendered capable of operating with working fluids having pH values that can range from 2-10 generally and acidic working fluids in particular. For applications in which the pump is intended to handle highly acidic solutions latex nanoparticles that are quaternary amine functionalized can be used.

This paper reviews miniaturized drug delivery systems applying osmotic principles for pumping. Osmotic micropumps require no electrical energy and consequently enable drug delivery systems of smallest size for a broad field of new applications. In contrast to common tablets, these pumps provide constant (zero-order) drug release rates. This facilitates systems for long term use not limited by gastrointestinal transit time and first-pass metabolism. The review focuses on parenteral routes of administration targeting drug delivery either in a site-specific or systemic way. Osmotic pumps consist of three building blocks: osmotic agent, solvent, and drug. This is used to categorize pumps into (i) single compartment systems using water from body fluids as solvent and the drug itself as the osmotic agent, (ii) two compartment systems employing a separate osmotic agent, and (iii) multi-compartment architectures employing solvent, drug and osmotic agent separately. In parallel to the micropumps, relevant applications and therapies are discussed. PMID:22370615

This paper presents a parallel dynamic passive valveless micropump, which consists of three layers-valve, diaphragm and electromagnetic coil. The valve is wetly etched in a silicon wafer, the diaphragm is a PDMS (polydimethyl siloxane) film spun on a silicon wafer with embedded permanent magnet posts, and the coil is electroplated on a silicon substrate. Under the actuation of the magnetic field of the coil, the flexible diaphragm can be displaced upwards and downwards. After analyzing magnetic and mechanical characteristic of the flexible membrane and direction-dependence of the diffuser, this paper designed a micropump. And the relative length (L/d) of the micropump"s diffuser is 4.An 7×7 array of permanent magnetic posts is embedded in the PDMS film. Two diaphragms work in an anti-step mode, which can relieve the liquid shock and increase the discharge of the micropump. ANSYS« and Matlab« are adopted to analyze the actuation effect of the coil and the flow characteristic of the micropump. Results show that when actuated under a 0.3A, 100Hz current ,the displacement of the diaphragm is more than 30μm, and the discharge of the micropump is about 6μL/s.

The fundamental action of the bubble-driven inertial micropump is investigated. The pump has no moving parts and consists of a thermal resistor placed asymmetrically within a straight channel connecting two reservoirs. Using numerical simulations, the net flow is studied as a function of channel geometry, resistor location, vapor bubble strength, fluid viscosity, and surface tension. Two major regimes of behavior are identified: axial and non-axial. In the axial regime, the drive bubble either remains inside the channel, or continues to grow axially when it reaches the reservoir. In the non-axial regime, the bubble grows out of the channel and in all three dimensions while inside the reservoir. The net flow in the axial regime is parabolic with respect to the hydraulic diameter of the channel cross-section, but in the non-axial regime it is not. From numerical modeling, it is determined that the net flow is maximal when the axial regime crosses over to the non-axial regime. To elucidate the basic physical principles of the pump, a phenomenological one-dimensional model is developed and solved. A linear array of micropumps has been built using silicon-SU8 fabrication technology that is used to manufacture thermal inkjet printheads. Semi-continuous pumping across a 2 mm-wide channel has been demonstrated experimentally. Measured net flow with respect to viscosity variation is in excellent agreement with simulation results.

A micropump driven by the thermocapillary convection is proposed. The purpose of this study is to examine the flow structure in liquid region and the effect of the geometry on the performance of the present micropump. There are two significant advantages in the thermocapillary-driven system. First, the surface forces become more dominant than the volume forces with decreasing scale. The present micropump driven by the surface forces shows an advantage in the micro scale over a diaphragm pump driven by the volume forces. Secondary, the thermocapillary driven system contains no movable parts; thus, it allows a very simple structure compared to the diaphragm one. In the present micropump system, a number of ribs are distributed along the flow circuit between a heater and a cooler. Since heat transfer from these ribs to the working liquid imposes temperature gradients along the gas-liquid interfaces, the flow from the hot to the cold side is induced by the Marangoni effect. Fundamental characteristics of the present micropump are studied on the basis of three-dimensional simulation conducted taking the gas, liquid and ribs into account. In this study, the flow structure corresponding to the temperature field was observed. The present calculation has revealed that the flow field exhibits a transition from steady flow to oscillatory flow when the Marangoni number exceeds a critical value of about 2,000-2,500. An experiment was also performed. The liquid flow driven by the present micropump system was confirmed through the experiment.

This study reports a hybrid electrokinetic technique for label-free manipulation of pathogenic bacteria in biological samples toward medical diagnostic applications. While most electrokinetic techniques only function in low-conductivity buffers, hybrid electrokinetics enables effective operation in high-conductivity samples, such as physiological fluids (∼1 S m(-1)). The hybrid electrokinetic technique combines short-range electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis, and long-range AC electrothermal flow to improve its effectiveness. The major technical hurdle of electrode instability for manipulating high conductivity samples is tackled by using a Ti-Au-Ti sandwich electrode and a 3-parallel-electrode configuration is designed for continuous isolation of bacteria. The device operates directly with biological samples including urine and buffy coats. We show that pathogenic bacteria and biowarfare agents can be concentrated for over 3 orders of magnitude using hybrid electrokinetics. PMID:21487576

We fabricated carbon nanotube (CNT) amperometric chips with pneumatic micropumps by the combination of amperometric biosensors based on CNT-arrayed electrodes and microchannels with pneumatic micropumps made of poly(dimethylsiloxane). On the chip, phosphate buffer solution and potassium ferricyanide, K3[Fe(CN)6], were introduced into the CNT electrodes using each pneumatic micropump and electrochemically measured by differential pulse voltammetry. The results indicate that our chip can automatically exchange reagents on the CNT electrodes and clearly detect molecules. Moreover, by modifying the CNT electrodes with enzyme glucose oxidase, glucose molecules could be detected using our chips by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. We conclude that microfluidic chips with CNT-arrayed electrodes are a promising candidate for the development of hand-held electrochemical biosensors.

Non-mechanical nano- and microscale pumps that function without the aid of an external power source and provide precise control over the flow rate in response to specific signals are needed for the development of new autonomous nano- and microscale systems. Here we show that surface-immobilized enzymes that are independent of adenosine triphosphate function as self-powered micropumps in the presence of their respective substrates. In the four cases studied (catalase, lipase, urease and glucose oxidase), the flow is driven by a gradient in fluid density generated by the enzymatic reaction. The pumping velocity increases with increasing substrate concentration and reaction rate. These rechargeable pumps can be triggered by the presence of specific analytes, which enables the design of enzyme-based devices that act both as sensor and pump. Finally, we show proof-of-concept enzyme-powered devices that autonomously deliver small molecules and proteins in response to specific chemical stimuli, including the release of insulin in response to glucose.

Pumping is a vital natural process, imitated by humans for thousands of years. We demonstrate that a hitherto undocumented mechanism of fluid transport pumps nectar onto the hummingbird tongue. Using high-speed cameras, we filmed the tongue–fluid interaction in 18 hummingbird species, from seven of the nine main hummingbird clades. During the offloading of the nectar inside the bill, hummingbirds compress their tongues upon extrusion; the compressed tongue remains flattened until it contacts the nectar. After contact with the nectar surface, the tongue reshapes filling entirely with nectar; we did not observe the formation of menisci required for the operation of capillarity during this process. We show that the tongue works as an elastic micropump; fluid at the tip is driven into the tongue's grooves by forces resulting from re-expansion of a collapsed section. This work falsifies the long-standing idea that capillarity is an important force filling hummingbird tongue grooves during nectar feeding. The expansive filling mechanism we report in this paper recruits elastic recovery properties of the groove walls to load nectar into the tongue an order of magnitude faster than capillarity could. Such fast filling allows hummingbirds to extract nectar at higher rates than predicted by capillarity-based foraging models, in agreement with their fast licking rates. PMID:26290074

Pumping is a vital natural process, imitated by humans for thousands of years. We demonstrate that a hitherto undocumented mechanism of fluid transport pumps nectar onto the hummingbird tongue. Using high-speed cameras, we filmed the tongue-fluid interaction in 18 hummingbird species, from seven of the nine main hummingbird clades. During the offloading of the nectar inside the bill, hummingbirds compress their tongues upon extrusion; the compressed tongue remains flattened until it contacts the nectar. After contact with the nectar surface, the tongue reshapes filling entirely with nectar; we did not observe the formation of menisci required for the operation of capillarity during this process. We show that the tongue works as an elastic micropump; fluid at the tip is driven into the tongue's grooves by forces resulting from re-expansion of a collapsed section. This work falsifies the long-standing idea that capillarity is an important force filling hummingbird tongue grooves during nectar feeding. The expansive filling mechanism we report in this paper recruits elastic recovery properties of the groove walls to load nectar into the tongue an order of magnitude faster than capillarity could. Such fast filling allows hummingbirds to extract nectar at higher rates than predicted by capillarity-based foraging models, in agreement with their fast licking rates. PMID:26290074

Electrokinetic microstirring is used to improve the sensitivity of microfluidic heterogeneous immuno-sensors by enhancing the transport in diffusion-limited reactions. The ACelectrokinetic force, Electrothermal Flow, is exploited to create a circular stirring fluid motion, thereby providing more binding opportunities between suspended and wall-immobilized molecules. This process can significantly reduce test times, important for both field-portable biosensors and for lab-based assays. A 2-D numerical simulation model is used to predict the effect of electrothermal flow on a heterogeneous immunoassay resulting from an AC potential applied to two parallel electrodes. The binding is increased by a factor of 7 for an applied voltage of 10 Vrms. The effect was investigated experimentally using a high affinity biotin-streptavidin reaction. Microstirred reaction rates were compared with passive reactions. The measurements show on average an order of magnitude increase in binding between immobilized biotin and fluorescently-labeled streptavidin after 5 minutes. Therefore, this technique shows significant promise for reducing incubation time and enhancing the sensitivity of immunoassays.

This paper presents comparison between two classes of micropump which are valveless micropump and cantilever-valve micropump. These micropumps consist of basic components which are diaphragm, pumping chamber, actuation mechanism, inlet and outlet. Piezoelectric actuation is carried out by applying pressure on the micropump diaphragm to produce deflection. The micropumps studied in this paper had been designed with specific diaphragm thickness and diameter; while varying the materials, pressure applied and liquid types used. The outer dimension for both micropumps is 4mm × 4mm × 0.5mm with diameter and thickness of the diaphragm are 3.8mm and 20μm respectively. Valveless micropump was shown in this paper to have better performance in mechanical and fluid analysis in terms of maximum deflection and maximum flow rate at actuation pressure 30kPa vis-à-vis cantilever-valve micropump. Valveless micropump was shown in this study to have maximum diaphragm deflection of 183.06μm and maximum flow rate with 191.635μL/s at actuation pressure 30kPa using silicon dioxide as material.

The concept of artificial pancreas, which comprises an insulin pump, a continuous glucose meter and a control algorithm, is a major step forward in managing patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The stability of the control algorithm is based on short-term precision micropump to deliver rapid-acting insulin and to specific integrated sensors able to monitor any failure leading to a loss of accuracy. Debiotech's MEMS micropump, based on the membrane pump principle, is made of a stack of 3 silicon wafers. The pumping chamber comprises a pillar check-valve at the inlet, a pumping membrane which is actuated against stop limiters by a piezo cantilever, an anti-free-flow outlet valve and a pressure sensor. The micropump inlet is tightly connected to the insulin reservoir while the outlet is in direct communication with the patient skin via a cannula. To meet the requirement of a pump dedicated to closed-loop application for diabetes care, in addition to the well-controlled displacement of the pumping membrane, the high precision of the micropump is based on specific actuation profiles that balance effect of pump elasticity in low-consumption push-pull mode.

To demonstrate a system integration process for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), we are building an active cooling MEMS unit for microelectronics applications. This integrated unit will incorporate a micropump, temperature sensors, microchannels, and heat exchange devices into a single unit. The first phase of this research project is to develop and test a micropump capable of moving the working fluid within the integrated device. This paper will discuss the design, development, testing, and evaluation of a micropump concept. The micropump which was developed is an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) injection pump. Fabrication of the pump was accomplished using laser micromachining technology, and two initial designs were examined for full fabrication. The first design has two silicon parts stacked vertically on top of each other. Gold is deposited on one side of each stacked plate to serve as electrodes for the electrohydrodynamic pump. A Nd:YAG laser is used to drill an array of circular holes in the {open_quotes}well{close_quotes} region of both silicon parts, leaving an open pathway for fluid movement. Next the silicon parts are aligned and bonded together, thus becoming a EHD pump. Fluid flow has been observed when an electric voltage is applied across the electrodes. The second design has the silicon parts which contain the flow grid oriented {open_quotes}back-to-back{close_quotes} and bonded together. This {open_quotes}back-to-back{close_quotes} design has a shorter grid distance between the anode and cathode plates so that a smaller voltage is required for pumping. Preliminary results from laboratory experiments have demonstrated that this EHD micropump design can achieve a pressure head of about 287 Pa with an applied voltage of 120 V.

Flow and ionic transport in porous media are central to electrokinetic pumping as well as to a host of other microfluidic devices. Electrokinetic pumping provides the ability to create high pressures (to over 10,000 psi) and high flow rates (over 1 mL/min) with a device having no moving parts and all liquid seals. The electrokinetic pump (EKP) is ideally suited for applications ranging from a high pressure integrated pump for chip-scale HPLC to a high flow rate integrated pump for forced liquid convection cooling of high-power electronics. Relations for flow rate and current fluxes in porous media are derived that provide a basis for analysis of complex microfluidic systems as well as for optimization of electrokinetic pumps.

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) devices use perpendicular electric and magnetic fields to exert a Lorentz body force on a conducting fluid. Miniaturized MHD devices have been used to create pumps, stirrers, heat exchangers, and microfluidic networks. Compared to mechanical micropumps, MHD micropumps are appealing because they require no moving parts, which simplifies fabrication, and because they are amenable to electronic control. This abstract reports the fabrication and testing of a centimeter-scale MHD pump using a thiol-ene/methacrylate-based photopolymer and mask-based photolithographic technique. Pumps like this one could simplify the fabrication of sophisticated optofluidic devices, including liquid-core, liquid cladding (L2) waveguides, which are usually created with PDMS using stamps, or etched into silicon wafers. The photolithographic technique demonstrated here requires only one masking step to create fluid channels with complex geometries.

A high performance piezoelectric PDMS peristaltic micropump with a single actuator is presented that enables driving with less expensive and simpler single-phase controllers while maintaining all the superior properties of conventional peristaltic micropumps, such as robustness, simplicity and purity due to the absence of valves. A simple structural design is based on a centrally placed inlet port which leads directly into the center of the pumping chamber. During excitation the loosely attached glass membrane and elastomer (PDMS) deform in a controlled manner, which enables compression and expansion of the central inlet port and the outlet fluidic channel with a phase lag that is typical for operation of peristaltic pumps. For proper micropump operation, the volume of the circular pumping chamber area should be much larger than the volume around the secondary deformation extremum that appears in the area of the outlet fluidic channel. To experimentally validate the principle of operation and evaluate the repeatability of the fabrication process, four monoactuator peristaltic (MAP) micropump prototypes were fabricated and characterized. Fabricated prototypes featured high water / air flowrate performance (up to 0.24 ml min-1/up to 0.84 ml min-1), back-pressure performance (up to 360 mbar/up to 80 mbar) and suction pressure performance (down to -165 mbar/down to -140 mbar). Furthermore, bubble tolerance and self-priming capability have been proved, together with valve regime of operation that enables sealing of the fluidic path when appropriate dc voltage is applied.

The study of electrokinetics is a very mature field. Experimental studies date from the early 1800s, and acceptable theoretical analyses have existed since the early 1900s. The use of electrokinetics in practical field problems is more recent, but it is still quite mature. Most developments in the fundamental understanding of electrokinetics are in the colloid science literature. A significant and increasing divergence between the theoretical understanding of electrokinetics found in the colloid science literature and the theoretical analyses used in interpreting applied experimental studies in soil science and waste remediation has developed. The soil science literature has to date restricted itself to the use of very early theories, with their associated limitations. The purpose of this contribution is to review fundamental aspects of electrokinetic phenomena from a colloid science viewpoint. It is hoped that a bridge can be built between the two branches of the literature, from which both will benefit. Attention is paid to special topics such as the effects of overlapping double layers, applications in unsaturated soils, the influence of dispersivity, and the differences between electrokinetic theory and conductivity theory.

In this paper, the development and characterization of thermopneumatic peristaltic micropumps are presented. Micropumps with three different designs are fabricated using soft lithography techniques. The equivalent circuit models of a thermopneumatic actuation cell are formulated. The analytical solutions for predicting the device transient behavior are also derived. The dynamical responses of the diaphragms are measured using an interferometer, and are in good agreement with the modeled results. Tiny drive circuits, which require only 5 V, are implemented for driving the pumps. The dimension of an integrated 3-chamber micropump system, which consists of a pump and a drive circuit, is 16 mm × 18 mm × 5.5 mm. The optimal operating conditions, such as actuation sequences, operating frequencies and duty ratios, are obtained. The maximum flow rate occurs at a driving frequency of 1.5 Hz with a duty ratio of 40% using a three-phase actuation sequence. A simplified pseudo thermo-fluid-structure-interaction (pT-FSI) model is also proposed to estimate the pumping characteristic. The model gives reasonable results under low operation frequency. Under zero backpressure, the maximum flow rates for the 3, 5 and 7-chamber devices are very close, whereas the devices with larger numbers of pumping chambers exhibit better pumping performance under higher backpressure.

Axons in the developing nervous system are directed via guidance cues, whose expression varies both spatially and temporally, to create functional neural circuits. Existing methods to create patterns of neural connectivity in vitro use only static geometries, and are unable to dynamically alter the guidance cues imparted on the cells. We introduce the use of ACelectrokinetics to dynamically control axonal growth in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We find that the application of modest voltages at frequencies on the order of 10(5) Hz can cause developing axons to be stopped adjacent to the electrodes while axons away from the electric fields exhibit uninhibited growth. By switching electrodes on or off, we can reversibly inhibit or permit axon passage across the electrodes. Our models suggest that dielectrophoresis is the causative ACelectrokinetic effect. We make use of our dynamic control over axon elongation to create an axon-diode via an axon-lock system that consists of a pair of electrode 'gates' that either permit or prevent axons from passing through. Finally, we developed a neural circuit consisting of three populations of neurons, separated by three axon-locks to demonstrate the assembly of a functional, engineered neural network. Action potential recordings demonstrate that the ACelectrokinetic effect does not harm axons, and Ca(2+) imaging demonstrated the unidirectional nature of the synaptic connections. ACelectrokinetic confinement of axonal growth has potential for creating configurable, directional neural networks. PMID:23314575

Axons in the developing nervous system are directed via guidance cues, whose expression varies both spatially and temporally, to create functional neural circuits. Existing methods to create patterns of neural connectivity in vitro use only static geometries, and are unable to dynamically alter the guidance cues imparted on the cells. We introduce the use of ACelectrokinetics to dynamically control axonal growth in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We find that the application of modest voltages at frequencies on the order of 105 Hz can cause developing axons to be stopped adjacent to the electrodes while axons away from the electric fields exhibit uninhibited growth. By switching electrodes on or off, we can reversibly inhibit or permit axon passage across the electrodes. Our models suggest that dielectrophoresis is the causative ACelectrokinetic effect. We make use of our dynamic control over axon elongation to create an axon-diode via an axon-lock system that consists of a pair of electrode `gates' that either permit or prevent axons from passing through. Finally, we developed a neural circuit consisting of three populations of neurons, separated by three axon-locks to demonstrate the assembly of a functional, engineered neural network. Action potential recordings demonstrate that the ACelectrokinetic effect does not harm axons, and Ca2+ imaging demonstrated the unidirectional nature of the synaptic connections. ACelectrokinetic confinement of axonal growth has potential for creating configurable, directional neural networks. PMID:23314575

This study presents a theoretical investigation of a flexible, electromagnetically controlled microchannel transport system (i.e., controllable micropump) utilizing a soft magnetorheological elastomer. A two-dimensional time-dependent model using a coupled fluid-solid-magnetic analysis is developed to conduct a parametric study on a system which consists of a flexible channel and valves. Effect of different geometric, magnetic and mechanical properties on the performance of the system is investigated through the net generated flow. It is demonstrated that the microchannel diameter, elastic foundation constant, elastic modulus of the microchannel and the valves, fluid viscosity, and the applied magnetic field have significant effect on the net generated flow.

Joule heating (JH) is a ubiquitous phenomenon in electrokinetic microfluidic devices. Its effects on fluid and ionic species transport in capillary and microchip electrophoresis have been well studied. However, JH effects on the electrokinetic motion of microparticles in microchannels have been nearly unexplored in the literature. This paper presents an experimental investigation of JH effects on electrokinetic particle transport and manipulation in constriction microchannels under both pure dc and dc-biased ac electric fields. It is found that the JH effects reduce the dielectrophoretic focusing and trapping of particles, especially significant when dc-biased ac electric fields are used. These results are expected to provide a useful guidance for future designs of electrokinetic particle handling microdevices that will avoid JH effects or take advantage of them.

The design of compact micropumps to provide steady flow has been an on-going challenge in the field of microfluidics. In this work, a novel micropump concept is introduced utilizing bacteriorhodopsin and sugar transporter proteins. The micropump utilizes light energy to activate the transporter proteins, which create an osmotic pressure gradient and drive the fluid flow. The capability of the bio inspired micropump is demonstrated using a quasi 1D numerical model, where the contributions of bacteriorhodopsin and sugar transporter proteins are taken care of by appropriate flux boundary conditions in the flow channel. Proton flux created by the bacteriorhodopsin proteins is compared with experimental results to obtain the appropriate working conditions of the proteins. To identify the pumping capability, we also investigate the influences of several key parameters, such as the membrane fraction of transporter proteins, membrane proton permeability and the presence of light. Our results show that there is a wide bacteriorhodopsin membrane fraction range (from 0.2 to 10%) at which fluid flow stays nearly at its maximum value. Numerical results also indicate that lipid membranes with low proton permeability can effectively control the light source as a method to turn on/off fluid flow. This capability allows the micropump to be activated and shut off remotely without bulky support equipment. In comparison with existing micropumps, this pump generates higher pressures than mechanical pumps. It can produce peak fluid flow and shutoff head comparable to other non-mechanical pumps.

In this paper, we focus on improving the performance of the piezoelectric diaphragms of micropumps. A novel circular lightweight piezoelectric composite actuator (LIPCA) with a high level of displacement and output force has been developed for piezoelectrically actuated micropumps. The actuator was designed and fabricated with oxide-based piezoelectric material in combination with carbon/epoxy fabric and glass/epoxy fabric. We used numerical and experimental methods to analyze the characteristics of the actuator. In addition, we used the developed circular LIPCA in conjunction with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material and PDMS molding techniques to design, model and fabricate a valveless micropump. We then used a circular LIPCA bonded to a thin layer of PDMS as an actuator diaphragm. The actuator diaphragm can provide a comparatively high level of displacement, about twice that of conventional piezoelectric diaphragms that are commonly used in micropumps. The displacement of the diaphragm, the flow rate and the backpressure of the micropump were evaluated and discussed. With water, the pump reaches a maximum flow rate of 1.3 ml/min and a maximum backpressure of 4.1 kPa. The test results confirm that the circular LIPCA is a promising candidate for micropump application and can be used as a substitute for a conventional piezoelectric actuator diaphragm.

The medical devices such as a micropump to extract blood through a tube have a structure which needle and pump part are mutually separated. Therefore, it is not easy to make smaller than the conventional pump. In this research, we aim to develop the pump combined with a tube as a final purpose. In this study, ring type PZT elements are mounted on the surface of the silicone tube, and the stationary waves are generated in the tube by the vibration of those PZT on the tube verified by changing the AC voltage. The waves generated by the collision of large and small stationary waves are synthesized, and then the wave becomes a progressive wave with an elliptic motion in the tube. The flow function demonstrated by the tube type micropump was evaluated and the flow velocities were increased 2.78% and decreased 1.79%. On the other hand, we have a technique to produce a titanium microtube by using RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique. A Titanium micro tube with the size of a female mosquito's labium (60Âµm external and 25μm internal diameter) was produced by the sputter deposition method. In order to deposit PZT thin film on the titanium micro tube, the thin film process is used. The thin film deposition conditions of the PZT thin film are investigated and the characteristic of the PZT thin films are evaluated.

Electrokinetics, Inc. through a cooperative agreement with USEPA's NRMRL conducted a laboratory evaluation of electrokinetic transport as a means to enhance in-situ bioremediation of trichloroethene (TCE). Four critical aspects of enhancing bioremediation by electrokinetic inject...

This paper reports, for the first time, on the design, fabrication and testing of a planar valveless micropump, entirely screen printed onto a flexible polyimide (Kapton) substrate using sacrificial, structural, conductive and piezoelectric layers. The sacrificial layer, used to achieve a pump chamber and inlet/outlet channels, is removed using water followed by a 140 ° C heat treatment to evaporate the water from the structure. The fabrication process is analogous to a standard silicon based micro-electro-mechanical system sacrificial process. Applying a sinusoidal AC voltage to the piezoelectric layer drives a flexible membrane which pumps a liquid through the chamber. A maximum flow rate of 38 μl min-1 was achieved using a drive frequency of 3 kHz.

The U.S. Department of Energy has assigned a priority to the advancement of technology for decontaminating concrete surfaces which have become contaminated with radionuclides, heavy metals, and toxic organics. This agency is responsible for decontamination and decommissioning of thousands of buildings. Electrokinetic extraction is one of the several innovative technologies which emerged in response to this initiative. This technique utilizes an electropotential gradient and the subsequent electrical transport mechanism to cause the controlled movement of ionics species, whereby the contaminants exit the recesses deep within the concrete. This report discusses the technology and use at the Oak Ridge k-25 plant.

This study presents a novel pneumatic micropump featuring a serpentine-shape (S-shape) microchannel. Fluid is driven through the device by the hydrodynamic pressure generated by the peristaltic action of membranes located at the intersections of the fluidic microchannel and the S-shape microchannel. The pneumatic micropump is fabricated in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) using MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-systems)-based techniques. The micropump provides an improved pumping rate and is controlled using a single electromagnetic valve (EMV) switch. The experimental results reveal that the pumping rate can be increased by increasing the operational frequency of the EMV, the pressure of the externally supplied compressed air or the number of membranes. As the compressed air travels along the S-shape microchannel, it causes the membranes to deflect. The time-phased deflection of successive membranes along the microchannel length generates a peristaltic effect which drives the fluid along the microfluidic channel. The maximum attainable pumping rate is influenced by the time interval between the deflections of adjacent membranes, and is therefore affected by the geometric characteristics of the serpentine microchannel. The back pressure of the serpentine-shape micropump is measured at a fixed peak frequency to prove its ability to overcome the fluidic resistance. The optimum operating conditions and geometric parameters of the micropump are verified experimentally. It is found that the maximum pumping rate is 7.43 µl min-1 and is provided by a micropump with seven membranes actuated by 20 psi air pressure and 9 Hz operational frequency. The preliminary results of the current paper were presented at the 2005 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (IEEE ROBIO 2005), Hong Kong SAR, 29 June-03 July 2005.

This work goal is to realize a high-performance, multi-stage micropump integrated within a wireless micro gas chromatograph (muGC) for measuring airborne environment pollutants. The work described herein focuses on the development of high-fidelity mathematical and physical design models, and the testing and validation of the most promising models with large-scale and micro-scale (MEMS) pump prototypes. It is shown that an electrostatically-actuated, multistage, diaphragm micropump with active valve control provides the best expected performance for this application. A hierarchy of models is developed to characterize the various factors governing micropump performance. This includes a thermodynamic model, an idealized reduced-order model and a reduced-order model that incorporates realistic valve flow effects and accounts for fluidic load. The reduced-order models are based on fundamental fluid dynamic principles and allow predictions of flow rate and pressure rise as a function of geometric design variables, and drive signal. The reduced order models are validated in several tests. Two-stage, 20x scale pump results reveal the need to incorporate realistic valve flow effects and the output load for accurate modeling. The more realistic reduced order model is then validated using micropumps with two and four pumping stages. The reduced order model captures the micropump performance accurately, provided that separate measurements of valve pressure losses and pump geometry are used. The four-stage micropump fabricated using theoretical model guidelines from this research provides a maximum flow rate and pressure rise of 3 cm 3/min and 1.75 kPa/stage respectively with a power consumption of only 4 mW per stage. The four-stage micropump occupies and area of 54 mm 2. Each pumping cavity has a volume of 6x10-6 m 3. This performance indicates that this pump design will be sufficient to meet the requirements for extended field operation of a wireless integrated muGC. During

Methods for determining the parameters critical in designing an electrokinetic soil remediation process including electrode well spacing, operating current/voltage, electroosmotic flow rate, electrode well wall design, and amount of buffering or neutralizing solution needed in the electrode wells at operating conditions are disclosed These methods are preferably performed prior to initiating a full scale electrokinetic remediation process in order to obtain efficient remediation of the contaminants.

Electrokinetic Soil Processing (or Electrokinetic Remediation) uses two series of electrodes (anodes and cathodes) positioned inside compartments that allow egress and ingress of pore fluids to the porous media. The compartments are filled with water or other process fluids and ...

In this paper, we present a low-cost, PDMS-membrane micropump with two one-way ball check-valves for lab-on-a-chip and microfluidic applications. The micropump consists of two functional PDMS layers, one holding the ball check-valves and an actuating chamber, and the other covering the chamber and holding a miniature permanent magnet on top for actuation. An additional PDMS layer is used to cover the top magnet, and thereby encapsulate the entire device. A simple approach was used to assemble a high-performance ball check-valve using a micropipette and heat shrink tubing. The micropump can be driven by an external magnetic force provided by another permanent magnet or an integrated coil. In the first driving scheme, a small dc motor (6 mm in diameter and 15 mm in length) with a neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet embedded in its shaft was used to actuate the membrane-mounted magnet. This driving method yielded a large pumping rate with very low power consumption. A maximum pumping rate of 774 µL min-1 for deionized water was achieved at the input power of 13 mW, the highest pumping rate reported in the literature for micropumps at such power consumptions. Alternatively, we actuated the micropump with a 10-turn planar coil fabricated on a PC board. This method resulted in a higher pumping rate of 1 mL min-1 for deionized water. Although more integratable and compact, the planar microcoil driving technique has a much higher power consumption.

Electrokinetic remediation is a method of decontaminating soil containing heavy metals and polar organic contaminants by passing a direct current through the soil. An undergraduate chemistry laboratory is described to demonstrate electrokinetic remediation of soil contaminated with copper. A 30 cm electrokinetic cell with an applied voltage of 30…

The US Department of Energy has assigned a priority to the advancement of technology for decontaminating concrete surfaces which have become contaminated with radionuclides, heavy metals, and toxic organics. This agency is responsible for decontamination and decommissioning of thousands of buildings. Electrokinetic extraction is one of the several innovative technologies which emerged in response to this initiative. This technique utilizes an electropotential gradient and the subsequent electrical transport mechanism to cause the controlled movement of ionics species, whereby the contaminants exit the recesses deep within the concrete. The primary objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach as a means to achieve ``release levels`` which could be consistent with unrestricted use of a decontaminated building. The secondary objectives were: To establish process parameters; to quantify the economics; to ascertain the ALARA considerations; and to evaluate wasteform and waste volume. The work carried out to this point has achieved promising results to the extent that ISOTRON{reg_sign} has been authorized to expand the planned activity to include the fabrication of a prototype version of a commercial device.

A compact high pressure hydraulic pump having no moving mechanical parts for converting electric potential to hydraulic force. The electrokinetic pump, which can generate hydraulic pressures greater than 2500 psi, can be employed to compress a fluid, either liquid or gas, and manipulate fluid flow. The pump is particularly useful for capillary-base systems. By combining the electrokinetic pump with a housing having chambers separated by a flexible member, fluid flow, including high pressure fluids, is controlled by the application of an electric potential, that can vary with time.

This paper presents a polymer-based micropump addressing the cost, performance, and system compatibility issues that have limited the integration of on-chip micropumps into microanalysis systems. This pump uses dielectric elastomer actuation to periodically displace fluid, and a pair of elastomeric check valves to rectify the fluid's resulting movement. Its significant features include the use of a transparent substrate, self-priming capability, insensitivity to gas bubbles, and the ability to admit particles. A pump occupying less than 10 mm2 of chip space produced a 77 microl min(-1) flow rate. The pump has a high thermodynamic efficiency and exhibits little performance degradation over 10 hours of operation. In addition to its notable performance, the pump can be fabricated at low cost and directly integrated into microfluidic chips that use planar softlithography-formed structures. The new pump concept, fabrication, and experimental performance are discussed herein. PMID:16929393

A thermopnuematic peristaltic micropump for controlling micro litters of fluid was designed and fabricated from multi-stack PDMS structure on glass substrate. Pump structure consists of inlet and outlet, microchannel, three thermopneumatic actuation chambers, and three heaters. In microchannel, fluid is controlled and pumped by peristaltic motion of actuation diaphragm. Actuation diaphragm can bend up and down by exploiting air expansion that is induced by increasing heater temperature. The micropump characteristics were measured as a function of applied voltage and frequency. The flow rate was determined by periodically recording the motion of fluid at Nanoport output and computing flow volume from height difference between consecutive records. From the experiment, an optimum flow rate of 0.82 µl/min is obtained under 14 V three-phase input voltages at 0.033 Hz operating frequency.

Lorentz force is the pumping basis of many electromagnetic micropumps used in lab-on-a-chip. In this paper a novel reciprocating single-chamber micropump is proposed, in which the actuation technique is based on Lorentz force acting on an array of microwires attached on a membrane surface. An alternating current is applied through the microwires in the presence of a magnetic field. The resultant force causes the membrane to oscillate and pushes the fluid to flow through microchannel using a ball-valve. The pump chamber (3 mm depth) was fabricated on a Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrate using laser engraving technique. The chamber was covered by a 60 μm thick hyper-elastic latex rubber diaphragm. Two miniature permanent magnets capable of providing magnetic field of 0.09 T at the center of the diaphragm were mounted on each side of the chamber. Square wave electric current with low-frequencies was generated using a function generator. Cylindrical copper microwires (250 μm diameter and 5 mm length) were attached side-by-side on top surface of the diaphragm. Thin loosely attached wires were used as connectors to energize the electrodes. Due to large displacement length of the diaphragm (~3 mm) a high efficiency (~90%) ball valve (2 mm diameter stainless steel ball in a tapered tubing structure) was used in the pump outlet. The micropump exhibits a flow rate as high as 490 μl/s and pressure up to 1.5 kPa showing that the pump is categorized among high-flow-rate mechanical micropumps.

This paper presents a SU8 unidirectional diaphragm micropump with embedded out-of-plane cantilever check valves. The device represents a reliable and low-cost solution for integration of microfluidic control in lab-on-a-chip devices. Its planar architecture allows monolithic definition of its components in a single step and potential integration with previously reported PCR, electrophoresis and flow-sensing SU8 microdevices. Pneumatic actuation is applied on a PDMS diaphragm, which is bonded to the SU8 body at wafer level, further enhancing its integration and mass production capabilities. The cantilever check valves move synchronously with the diaphragm, feature fast response (10ms), low dead volume (86nl) and a 94% flow blockage up to 300kPa. The micropump achieves a maximum flow rate of 177 μl min(-1) at 6 Hz and 200 kPa with an effective area of 10 mm(2). The device is reliable, self-priming and tolerant to particles and big bubbles. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first micropump in SU8 with monolithically integrated cantilever check valves. PMID:21853192

Active manipulation of cells, such as trapping, focusing, and isolation, is essential for various bioanalytical applications. Herein, we report a hybrid electrokinetic technique for manipulating mammalian cells in physiological fluids. This technique applies a combination of negative dielectrophoretic force and hydrodynamic drag force induced by electrohydrodynamics, which is effective in conductive biological fluids. With a three-electrode configuration, the stable equilibrium positions of cells can be adjusted for separation and focusing applications. Cancer cells and white blood cells can be positioned and isolated into specific locations in the microchannel under both static and dynamic flow conditions. To investigate the sensitivity of the hybrid electrokinetic process, AC voltage, frequency, and bias dependences of the cell velocity were studied systematically. The applicability of the hybrid electrokinetic technique for manipulating cells in physiological samples is demonstrated by continuous focusing human breast adenocarcinoma spiked in urine, buffy coats, and processed blood samples with 98% capture efficiency. PMID:22937529

Active manipulation of cells, such as trapping, focusing, and isolation, is essential for various bioanalytical applications. Herein, we report a hybrid electrokinetic technique for manipulating mammalian cells in physiological fluids. This technique applies a combination of negative dielectrophoretic force and hydrodynamic drag force induced by electrohydrodynamics, which is effective in conductive biological fluids. With a three-electrode configuration, the stable equilibrium positions of cells can be adjusted for separation and focusing applications. Cancer cells and white blood cells can be positioned and isolated into specific locations in the microchannel under both static and dynamic flow conditions. To investigate the sensitivity of the hybrid electrokinetic process, AC voltage, frequency, and bias dependences of the cell velocity were studied systematically. The applicability of the hybrid electrokinetic technique for manipulating cells in physiological samples is demonstrated by continuous focusing of human breast adenocarcinoma spiked in urine, buffy coats, and processed blood samples with 98% capture efficiency. PMID:22937529

An electrokinetic pump capable of producing high pressure is combined with a nozzle having a submicron orifice to provide a high pressure spray device. Because of its small size, the device can be contained within medical devices such as an endoscope for delivering biological materials such as DNA, chemo therapeutic agents, or vaccines to tissues and cells.

An electrokinetic pump capable of producing high pressure is combined with a nozzle having a submicron orifice to provide a high pressure spray device. Because of its small size, the device can be contained within medical devices such as an endoscope for delivering biological materials such as DNA, chemo therapeutic agents, or vaccines to tissues and cells.

We report a planar solenoid actuated valveless micropump with multiple inlet–outlet configurations. The self-priming characteristics of the multiple inlet–multiple outlet micropump are studied. The filling dynamics of the micropump chamber during start-up and the effects of fluid viscosity, voltage and frequency on the dynamics are investigated. Numerical simulations for multiple inlet–multiple outlet micropumps are carried out using fluid structure algorithm. With DI water and at 5.0 Vp-p, 20 Hz frequency, the two inlet–two outlet micropump provides a maximum flow rate of 336 μl min‑1 and maximum back pressure of 441 Pa. Performance characteristics of the two inlet–two outlet micropump are studied for aqueous fluids of different viscosity. Transport of biological cell lines and diluted blood samples are demonstrated; the flow rate-frequency characteristics are studied. Viability of cells during pumping with multiple inlet multiple outlet configuration is also studied in this work, which shows 100% of cells are viable. Application of the proposed micropump for simultaneous pumping, mixing and distribution of fluids is demonstrated. The proposed integrated, standalone and portable micropump is suitable for drug delivery, lab-on-chip and micro-total-analysis applications.

The vibration analysis of a micro-pump diaphragm is presented. A piezoelectric micro-pump is studied. For this purpose, a dynamic model of the micro-pump is derived. The micro-pump diaphragm is modeled as circular double membranes, a piezoelectric one as actuator and a silicon one for representing the membrane for pumping action. The damping effect of the fluid is introduced into the equations. Vibration analysis is established by explicitly solving the dynamic model. The natural frequencies and mode shapes are calculated. The orthogonality conditions of the system are discussed. To verify the results, the finite-element micro-pump model is developed in ANSYS software package. The results show that the two methods are well comparable.

Miniaturization and integration of traditional bioassay procedures into microfabricated on-chip assay systems, commonly referred to as "Micro Total Analysis" (muTAS) systems, may have a significant impact on the fields of genomics, proteomics, and clinical analysis. These bioanalytical microsystems leverage electroosmosis and electrophoresis for sample transport, mixing, manipulation, and separation. This dissertation addresses the following three topics relevant to such systems: a new diagnostic for measuring the electrophoretic mobility of sub-micron, fluorescently-labeled particles and the electroosmotic mobility of a microchannel; a novel method and device for rapidly stirring micro- and nanoliter volume solutions for microfluidic bioanalytical applications; and a multiple-species electrokinetic instability model. Accurate measurement of the electrophoretic particle mobility and the electroosmotic mobility of microchannel surfaces is crucial to understanding the stability of colloidal suspensions, obtaining particle tracking-based velocimetry measurements of electroosmotic flow fields, and the quantification of electrokinetic bioanalytical device performance. A method for determining these mobilities from alternating and direct current electrokinetic particle tracking measurements is presented. The ability to rapidly mix fluids at low Reynolds numbers is important to the functionality of many bioanalytical, microfluidic devices. We present an electrokinetic process for rapidly stirring microflow streams by initiating an electrokinetic flow instability. The design, fabrication and performance analysis of two micromixing devices capable of rapidly stirring two low Reynolds number fluid streams are presented. Electroosmotic and electrophoretic transport in the presence of conductivity mismatches between reagent streams and the background electrolytes, can lead to an unstable flow field generating significant sample dispersion. In the multiple

Electrically controlled dynamics of fluids and particles at microscales is a fascinating area of research with applications ranging from microfluidics and sensing to sorting of biomolecules. The driving mechanisms are electric forces acting on spatially separated charges in an isotropic medium such as water. Here, we demonstrate that anisotropic conductivity of liquid crystals enables new mechanism of highly efficient electro-osmosis rooted in space charging of regions with distorted orientation. The electric field acts on these distortion-separated charges to induce liquid crystal-enabled electro-osmosis. Their velocities grow with the square of the field, which allows one to use an alternating current field to drive steady flows and to avoid electrode damage. Ionic currents in liquid crystals that have been traditionally considered as an undesirable feature in displays, offer a broad platform for versatile applications such as liquid crystal-enabled electrokinetics, micropumping and mixing. PMID:25255307

An electrokinetic high pressure hydraulic pump for manipulating fluids in capillary-based system. The pump uses electro-osmotic flow to provide a high pressure hydraulic system, having no moving mechanical parts, for pumping and/or compressing fluids, for providing valve means and means for opening and closing valves, for controlling fluid flow rate, and manipulating fluid flow generally and in capillary-based systems (microsystems), in particular. The compact nature of the inventive high pressure hydraulic pump provides the ability to construct a micro-scale or capillary-based HPLC system that fulfills the desire for small sample quantity, low solvent consumption, improved efficiency, the ability to run samples in parallel, and field portability. Control of pressure and solvent flow rate is achieved by controlling the voltage applied to an electrokinetic pump.

An electrokinetic high pressure hydraulic pump for manipulating fluids in capillary-based systems. The pump uses electro-osmotic flow to provide a high pressure hydraulic system, having no moving mechanical parts, for pumping and/or compressing fluids, for providing valve means and means for opening and closing valves, for controlling fluid flow rate, and manipulating fluid flow generally and in capillary-based systems (Microsystems), in particular. The compact nature of the inventive high pressure hydraulic pump provides the ability to construct a micro-scale or capillary-based HPLC system that fulfills the desire for small sample quantity, low solvent consumption, improved efficiency, the ability to run samples in parallel, and field portability. Control of pressure and solvent flow rate is achieved by controlling the voltage applied to an electrokinetic pump.

We present a micropump with a simple planar design featuring compliant in-contact check valves in a single layer, which allows for a simple structure and easy system integration. The micropump, based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), primarily consists of a pneumatically driven thin membrane, a pump chamber, and two in-plane check valves. The pair of check valves is based on an in-contact flap–stopper configuration and is able to minimize leakage flow, greatly enhancing the reliability and performance of the micropump. Systematic experimental characterization of the micropump has been performed in terms of the frequency response of the pumping flow rate with respect to factors including device geometry (e.g. chamber height) and operating parameters (e.g. pneumatic driving pressure and backpressure). The results demonstrate that this micropump is capable of reliably generating a maximum flow rate of 41 μL min−1 and operating against a high backpressure of up to 25 kPa. In addition, a lumped-parameter theoretical model for the planar micropump is also developed for accurate analysis of the device behavior. These results demonstrate the capability of this micropump for diverse applications in lab-on-a-chip systems. PMID:24511208

This paper presents the design and analysis of an IPMC (Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite) driven micropump. It should be noted that IPMC is a promising material candidate for micropump applications since it can be operated with low input voltages and can produce large stroke volumes along with controllable flow rates. Moreover, the micropump manufacturing process with IPMC is convenient. It is anticipated that the manufacturing cost of the IPMC micropump is competitive when compared to other competing technologies. In order to design an effective IPMC diaphragm that functions as an actuating motor for a micropump, a finite element analysis was utilized to optimize the shape of IPMC diaphragm and estimate stroke volume through several parametric studies. In addition, effect of the pump chamber's pressure on the stroke volume was numerically investigated. Appropriate inlet and outlet nozzle/diffusers for the micropump were also chosen. Based on the selected geometry of nozzle/diffusers and the estimated stroke volume, flow rate of the IPMC micropump was predicted.

Electrokinetics promises to be an innovative treatment process for in-situ treatment of soils and groundwater contaminated with heavy metals and radionuclides. Electrokinetics refers to the movement of ionic liquids and charged particles relative to one another under the action ...

A simple fluid-diaphragm coupling model for studying the dynamic performance of valveless micropumps is presented. The model includes fluid inertia and a squeeze film effect by solving the coupling equation simultaneously with the Reynolds equation. The model is validated with a valveless diffuser micropump actuated by either a piezoelectric or electromagnetic diaphragm. The performance of the pump is considered for pumping liquid and air. The resonant frequency and dynamic performance of the micropumps obtained by the model are in good agreement with the experimental data. The model can predict well the damping behavior of the pump.

ACelectrokinetics is becoming a strategic tool for lab-on-a-chip systems due to its versatility and its high level of integration. The ability to foreseen the behaviour of fluids and particles under non-uniform AC electric fields is important to allow new generations of devices. Though most of studies predicted motion of particles in co-planar electrodes configurations, we explore a pure 3-D ACelectrokinetic effect that can open the way to enhance contact-less handling throughout the microchannel. By fabricating 3D microfluidic chips with a bi-layer electrodes configuration where electrodes are patterned on both sides of the microfluidic channel, we present a detailed study of the ACelectrokinetic regimes that govern particles motion suspended in different host media subjected to a non-uniform AC electric field that spreads through the cross-section of the microchannel. We simulate and observe the motion of 1, 5, and 10 μm polystyrene particles relative to the electrodes and provide an insight on the competition between electro-hydrodynamical forces and dielectrophoresis. We demonstrate that using relevant electrode designs combined with the appropriate applied AC potential, particles can be handled in 3-D in the micro-channel at a single or a collective level in several medium conductivities. Both numerical simulations and experimental results provide a useful basis for future biological applications.

Motivated by the growing interest in ac electroosmosis as a reliable no moving parts strategy to control fluid motion in microfluidic devices for biomedical applications, such as lab-on-a-chip, we study transient and steady-state electrokinetic phenomena (electroosmosis and streaming currents) in infinitely extended rectangular charged microchannels. With the aid of Fourier series and Laplace transforms we provide a general formal solution of the problem, which is used to study the time-dependent response to sudden ac applied voltage differences in case of finite electric double layer. The Debye-Huckel approximation has been adopted to allow for an algebraic solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann problem in Fourier space. We obtain the expressions of flow velocity profiles, flow rates, streaming currents, as well as expressions of the complex hydraulic and electrokinetic conductances. We analyze in detail the dependence of the electrokinetic conductance on the extension of linear dimensions relative to the Debye length, with an eye on finite electric double layer effects. PMID:16351310

A new mechanically assisted heat pipe has been developed and tested by the authors that combines the high performance of a pumped fluid loop with the reliability of passive heat pipes. The new unit employs micro-pumps inside a passive heat pipe to enhance the return of working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator, and thereby increases the capability of the system. This hybrid device is lighter, smaller and handles higher heat flux compared with a passive heat pipe of similar weight and dimensions. Best of all, if the mechanical pump fails, the heat transport will be impaired, but not totally paralyzed, allowing some form of lower level operation. This micro-pump design installs fins at critical locations inside the heat pipe. These fins can be parallel (flag) or perpendicular (flap) to the flow direction. By vibrating these fins in a motion similar to dolphin kicks for the flaps, and in a motion similar to a fishtail for the flags, these fins were found capable of pumping the working fluid effectively. The size and geometry of these fins were tested extensively. Several actuation approaches were examined. The results of these tests are presented in this paper.

We report a dual-micropump structure operated by a single actuator element. The constituent micropumps are a form of micro throttle pump (MTP) comprising a narrow flow channel incorporating two microthrottles. We term this a 'linear MTP' (LMTP). The LMTP's narrowness, in conjunction with an elastomeric substrate, allows multiple, independent, LMTPs to be actuated by a single piezoelectric actuator thereby suiting it to parallel microfluidic architectures. Furthermore, LMTP elements can be combined into parallel or series composites yielding increased maximum pumping rates or back pressures, respectively, when compared to a single LMTP element. The LMTP's flow-channel-like, linear pump chamber minimizes the development of recirculatory flows associated with circular pump chambers which, in part, determine their frequency response and hence maximum pumping rates. We have modelled, fabricated and evaluated a dual-LMTP. We report operation in three modes: as two distinct pumps, as a series composite pump, and as a parallel composite pump. Operating at about 1.6 kHz, with both pumps under identical load conditions, each pump yielded maximum pumping rates of about 750 µl min-1 and back pressures of 18 kPa, both with close matching. Configured as a series composite, a 35 kPa back pressure was achieved, and configured as a parallel composite, a maximum pumping rate of 1.4 ml min-1 resulted. Images of 5 µm polystyrene beads flowing within an LMTP confirm minimal recirculatory behaviour consistent with the LMTP's increased operating frequencies compared to circular pump chamber MTPs.

In this paper, a fluid-diaphragm coupling model is proposed for studying the dynamic performance of a valveless micropump. In the model, fluid inertia is included and fluid pressure is obtained by solving the coupling equation simultaneously with Navier-Stokes equations through a transient dynamic mesh simulation. This process avoids the omission of the phase shift between the pressure force on the diaphragm and the flow rate of the pump. Furthermore, in this model, empirical parameters are almost eliminated. The model was applied to study the dynamic performance of a valveless electromagnetic micropump which uses a new working principle. The obtained results show that the flow rate attains its maximum value for a range of driving frequency. For instance, the flow rate reaches 1.6 ml min-1 for frequencies of 26-30 Hz when the electromagnetic force is 20 mN. The simulation results demonstrate that the flow rate of the proposed pump is much larger than that of the diffuser pump counterpart. A MEMS prototype has been fabricated and the attained backpressure validates the new pumping principle of the pump.

Motivated by the recent interest in using electrokinetic effects within microfluidic devices, they have extended the EBNavierStokes code to be able to handle electrokinetic effects. With this added functionality, the code becomes more useful for understanding and designing microfluidic devices that take advantage of electrokinetic effects (e.g. pumping and mixing). Supporting the simulation of electrokinetic effects required three main extensions to the existing code: (1) addition of an electric field solver, (2) development of a module for accurately computing the Smulochowski slip-velocity at fluid-solid boundaries, and (3) extension of the fluid solver to handle nonuniform inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The first and second extensions were needed to compute the electrokinetically generated slip-velocity at fluid-solid boundaries. The third extension made it possible for the fluid flow to be driven by a slip-velocity boundary condition (rather than by a pressure difference between inflow and outflow). In addition, several small changes were made throughout the code to make it compatible with these extensions. This report documents the changes to the EBNavierStokes code required to support the simulation of electrokinetic effects. They begin with a brief overview of the problem of electrokinetically driven flow. Next, they present a detailed description of the changes to the EBNavierStokes code. Finally, they present some preliminary results and discuss future directions and improvements to the code.

Offshore and near-shore structures for energy exploration and production, harbour work and other facilities are often situated on very soft marine clay deposits that have shear strengths of a few kilopascals. The design of foundations embedded in these soft deposits often poses a challenge for geotechnical engineers, i.e., to satisfy the bearing capacity requirement, while at the same time minimizing the embedment depth and dimensions of the foundation due to cost considerations. The present study investigates the possibility of using electrokinetics to strengthen the soil adjacent to skirted foundations embedded in soft marine deposits and, thus, to improve the load carrying capacity of the foundations. The innovative feature of this approach as compared to soil improvement methods commonly adopted in practice is that the focus of strengthening is on the interface between the soil and embedded foundation, in terms of enhancement of adhesion and cementation. The thesis presents a summary of the method and results of a series of electrokinetic tests conducted on natural and simulated marine clays in small-scale and large-scale laboratory testing facilities. Steel plates and steel cylinders are used to simulate skirted foundations. A low dc voltage is applied via steel electrodes installed around the foundation models. The effects of electrokinetics are evaluated through changes in the geotechnical properties of the soil and load carrying capacities of the foundation model after treatment. The results demonstrate that the load carrying capacity of the skirted foundation model and the undrained shear strength of the adjacent soil increase by a factor of three after electrokinetic treatment. The clay adheres strongly to the inside and outside walls of the foundation model, indicating bonding occurs between the soil and steel after treatment. The treatment increases the soil undrained modulus and also induces a preconsolidation pressure of the remoulded clay, thereby

The creation of compact micropumps to provide steady flow has been an on-going challenge in the field of microfluidics. We present a mathematical model for a micropump utilizing Bacteriorhodopsin and sugar transporter proteins. This micropump utilizes transporter proteins as method to drive fluid flow by converting light energy into chemical potential. The fluid flow through a microchannel is simulated using the Nernst-Planck, Navier-Stokes, and continuity equations. Numerical results show that the micropump is capable of generating usable pressure. Designing parameters influencing the performance of the micropump are investigated including membrane fraction, lipid proton permeability, illumination, and channel height. The results show that there is a substantial membrane fraction region at which fluid flow is maximized. The use of lipids with low membrane proton permeability allows illumination to be used as a method to turn the pump on and off. This capability allows the micropump to be activated and shut off remotely without bulky support equipment. This modeling work provides new insights on mechanisms potentially useful for fluidic pumping in self-sustained bio-mimic microfluidic pumps. This work is supported in part by the National Science Fundation Grant CBET-1250107.

Flow rate sensing is a critical issue for piezoelectric-based micropump systems. This paper describes experimental analysis of flow rate sensing in a peristaltic micropump system. Sensing can be integrated with such a pump using piezoelectric actuators based on the time-phase-shift (TPS) method. To do this, an evaluation-window is added on the falling edge of the driving pulse to help detect the flow velocity without affecting the flow rate. We fabricate a prototype piezoelectric peristaltic micropump with three chambers and three piezoelectric actuators. The middle actuator works not only as an actuator for driving fluid but also as a transducer for sensing flow rate. An evaluation-window is performed to ascertain the relationship between the flow rate and the phase shift of output-signal responses from the transducer. The experimental results show that the evaluation-window response of flow rates in a piezoelectric peristaltic micropump has rates of from 5.56‒33.36 μl s-1. The results are extended to propose a practical flow rate sensor, the design of which can be realized easily in the piezoelectric peristaltic micropump system for sensorless responses that can detect flow rate without any sensors or circuits. The proposed TPS method is real-time, integrated, fast, efficient, and suitable for flow rate detection in piezoelectric peristaltic micropumps.

In the microfluid control system, a valve-less micropump is a necessary component. It has the ability to pump a wide variety of fluids automatically and accurately on a micro scale. The dynamic characteristics of a valve-less micropump influence the performance of the microfluid control system. Consequently, it is of great importance to be able to accurately predict the dynamic characteristics of micropumps for appropriate design and usage of the microfluid control system. In this paper, we describe a corrugated diaphragm valveless micropump approached from the Computational Fluid Dynamics point of view in which the Fluid Structure Interaction is based on the Two Way principle, meaning that the diaphragm is moving and the fluid (water like fluid) is sucked from the inlet and pushed back to the outlet using the nozzle effect. The technical solution of micropumps without valves is a very clever idea to replace the custom valves with nozzles, with the same effect but virtually without any components beside the inlet and the outlet nozzles. The paperwork is demonstrating via a complex simulation involving the structural-fluid interaction the nozzle effects and the functioning of this kind of micropumps.

The voltage-operating window for many electrokinetic microdevices is limited by electrolysis gas bubbles that destabilize microfluidic system causing noise and irreproducible responses above ∼3 V DC and less than ∼1 kHz AC at 3 Vpp. Surfactant additives, SDS and Triton X-100, and an integrated semipermeable SnakeSkin® membrane were employed to control and assess electrolysis bubbles from platinum electrodes in a 180 by 70 μm, 10 mm long microchannel. Stabilized current responses at 100 V DC were observed with surfactant additives or SnakeSkin® barriers. Electrolysis bubble behaviors, visualized via video microscopy at the electrode surface and in the microchannels, were found to be influenced by surfactant function and SnakeSkin® barriers. Both SDS and Triton X-100 surfactants promoted smaller bubble diameters and faster bubble detachment from electrode surfaces via increasing gas solubility. In contrast, SnakeSkin® membranes enhanced natural convection and blocked bubbles from entering the microchannels and thus reduced current disturbances in the electric field. This data illustrated that electrode surface behaviors had substantially greater impacts on current stability than microbubbles within microchannels. Thus, physically blocking bubbles from microchannels is less effective than electrode functionalization approaches to stabilize electrokinetic microfluidic systems. PMID:24648277

When an electrolyte solution contacts with a solid surface, the surface will likely be charged through an electrochemical adsorption process. The surface charge in general varies with the local bulk ionic concentration, the pH value and the temperature of the solution, and even with the double layer interactions in the narrow channel. Most of the previous studies are based on a constant zeta potential or surface charge density assumption, which does not reflect the realistic charge status at interfaces and may lead to inaccurate predictions. In this work, we first develop a generalized model for electrochemical boundary conditions on solid-liquid interfaces, which can closely approximate the known experimental properties. We further present nonequilibrium molecular dynamic (NEMD) simulations of electrokinetic transport in nanochannels. We take silica and carbon as examples of channel materials. Both monovalent and multivalent ionic solutions are considered. The electrokinetic transport properties for realistic nanochannels are therefore studied and a multiscale analysis for a new energy conversion device is performed.

Understanding the nonlinear phenomena that occur in the electric double layer (EDL) that forms at charged surfaces is a key issue in electrokinetics. In recent studies, Nakayama and Andelman [J. Chem. Physics 2015] Hatlo et al. [EPL 2012], and Zhao and Zhai [JFM 2013] demonstrated that dielectric decrement significantly influences the ionic concentration in the electric double layer (EDL) at high zeta potential, leading to the formation of a condensed layer near the particle's surface. In this presentation, we apply the dielectric decrement model to study two archetypal problems in electrokinetics, namely the electrophoresis of particles with fixed surface charges and the electrophoresis of ideally polarizable particles. Our aim is to rely on numerical simulations to incorporate nonlinear effects including crowding effects due to the finite size of ions, dielectric decrement in the EDL, surface conduction, concentration polarization and advection in the bulk solution. In parallel, we derive a simplified composite layer model that enables us to obtain analytical estimates of the physical quantities involved in the physical description of the problem.

Isotachophoresis (ITP) is an electrokinetic focusing technique used in a variety of life science and analytical chemistry applications. In ITP, an electrokinetic shock wave forms at the interface between leading and trailing electrolytes with relatively high and low conductivities. The ITP interface is self-sharpening, as restoring electromigration fluxes counteract molecular diffusion. However, the large electric field gradient at the shock interface also gives rise to free charge and strong electrostatic body forces. At large applied currents, electrostatic forces cause recirculating flows which destabilize the ITP interface. We performed stability analysis and direct simulation of ITP shocks through numerical solutions to the coupled Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes equations using a quasi-electroneutral approximation. In both experiments and numerical simulations, we observe two modes of instability: 1) a distorted ITP interface which is steady in time, and 2) an oscillating perturbation which persists. In addition, at the highest simulated electric fields, we observe transition towards more chaotic oscillatory modes. We use our stability analysis and numerical simulations to characterize instability of ITP shocks using two dimensionless parameters.

We discuss the electrostatic and electrokinetic contribution to the elastic moduli of a cell or artificial membrane placed in an electrolyte and driven by a DC electric field. The field drives ion currents across the membrane, through specific channels, pumps or natural pores. In steady state, charges accumulate in the Debye layers close to the membrane, modifying the membrane elastic moduli. We first study a model of a membrane of zero thickness, later generalizing this treatment to allow for a finite thickness and finite dielectric constant. Our results clarify and extend the results presented in [D. Lacoste, M. Cosentino Lagomarsino, and J. F. Joanny, Europhys. Lett., 77, 18006 (2007)], by providing a physical explanation for a destabilizing term proportional to kps^3 in the fluctuation spectrum, which we relate to a nonlinear (E^2) electro-kinetic effect called induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO). Recent studies of ICEO have focused on electrodes and polarizable particles, where an applied bulk field is perturbed by capacitive charging of the double layer and drives flow along the field axis toward surface protrusions; we predict similar ICEO flows around driven membranes, due to curvature-induced tangential fields within a non-equilibrium double layer, which hydrodynamically enhance protrusions.

Archimedes micro-screws have been fabricated by three-dimensional two-photon polymerization using a Nd:YAG Q-switched microchip laser at 532nm. Due to their small sizes they can be easily manipulated, and made to rotate using low power optical tweezers. Rotation rates up to 40 Hz are obtained with a laser power of 200 mW, i.e. 0.2 Hz/mW. A photo-driven micropump action in a microfluidic channel is demonstrated with a non-optimized flow rate of 6 pL/min. The optofluidic properties of such type of Archimedes micro-screws are quantitatively described by the conservation of momentum that occurs when the laser photons are reflected on the helical micro-screw surface. PMID:21643076

An actuation apparatus includes at least one magnetic shape memory (MSM) element containing a material configured to expand and/or contract in response to exposure to a magnetic field. Among other things, the MSM element may be configured to pump fluid through a micropump by expanding and/or contracting in response to the magnetic field. The magnetic field may rotate about an axis of rotation and exhibit a distribution having a component substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Further, the magnetic field distribution may include at least two components substantially orthogonal to one another lying in one or more planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The at least one MSM element may contain nickel, manganese, and gallium. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be enhanced by contacting a PCR reagent and DNA material with the MSM element.

The performance of MHD micropumps is studied numerically assuming that the viscosity of the fluid is shear-dependent. Using power-law model to represent the fluid of interest, the effect of power-law exponent, N, is investigated on the volumetric flow rate in a rectangular channel. Assuming that the flow is laminar, incompressible, two-dimensional, but (approximately) unidirectional, finite difference method (FDM) is used to solve the governing equations. It is found that shear-thinning fluids provide a larger flow rate as compared to Newtonian fluids provided that the Hartmann number is above a critical value. There exists also an optimum Hartmann number (which is larger than the critical Hartmann number) at which the flow rate is maximum. The power-law exponent, N, strongly affects the optimum geometry depending on the Hartmann number being smaller or larger than the critical Hartmann number.

Electrokinetic soil processing is a controlled application of electrical migration and electroosmosis together with the electrolysis reactions. lectroosmosis is one of the different transport processes generated in soils under an electric current. lectroosmosis and electrophoresi...

This is a review of the worthwhile, innovative theories and concepts in electrogravitics and electrokinetics that could yield tremendous technological and economic dividends in both investment dollars and potential applications for future generations. Electrogravitics is most commonly associated with the 1918 work by Professor Nipher followed by the 1928 British patent #300,311 of T. Townsend Brown, the 1952 Special Inquiry File #24-185 of the Office of Naval Research into the "Electro-Gravity Device of Townsend Brown" and two widely circulated 1956 Aviation Studies Ltd. Reports on "Electrogravitics Systems" and "The Gravitics Situation." By definition, electrogravitics historically has had a purported relationship to gravity or the object's mass, as well as the applied voltage. An analysis of the 90-year old science of electrogravitics (or electrogravity) necessarily includes an analysis of electrokinetics. Electrokinetics, on the other hand, is more commonly associated with many patents of T. Townsend Brown as well as Agnew Bahnson, starting with the 1960 US patent #2,949,550 entitled, "Electrokinetic Apparatus." Electrokinetics, which often involves a capacitor and dielectric, has virtually no relationship that can be connected with mass or gravity. The Army Research Lab has recently issued a report on electrokinetics, analyzing the force on an asymmetric capacitor, while NASA has received three patents on the same design topic. To successfully describe and predict the purported motion in the direction of the positive terminal of the capacitor, it is desirable to use the classical electrokinetic field and force equations for the specific geometry involved. This initial review also suggests directions for further confirming measurements. This paper also reviews the published electrokinetic experiments by the Army Research Lab by Bahder and Fazi, California State University at Fullerton work by Woodward and Mahood, Erwin Saxl, and others.

The ability to control and pump high ionic strength fluids inside microchannels forms a major advantage for clinical diagnostics and drug screening processes, where high conductive biological and physiological buffers are used. Despite the known potential of AC electro-thermal (ACET) effect in different biomedical applications, comparatively little is known about controlling the velocity and direction of fluid inside the chip. Here, we proposed to discretize the conventional electrodes to form various asymmetric electrode structures in order to control the fluid direction by simple switching the appropriate electric potential applied to the discretized electrodes. The ACET pumping effect was numerically studied by solving electrical, thermal and hydrodynamic multi-physic coupled equations to optimize the geometrical dimensions of the discretized system. PBS solutions with different ionic strength were seeded with 1 μm sized fluorescent particles and electrothermally driven fluid motion was observed inside the channel for different electrode structures. Experimental analyses confirm that the proposed micropump is efficient for a conductivity range between 0.1 and 1 S/m and the efficiency improves by increasing the voltage amplitude. Behavior of the proposed electrode-electrolyte system is discussed by lumped circuit model. Frequency response of system illustrated that the optimal frequency range increases by increasing the conductivity of medium. For 0.18 S/m PBS solution, the constant pumping effect was observed at frequency range between 100 kHz and 1 MHz, while frequency range of 100 kHz to 5 MHZ was observed for 0.42 S/m. The characteristics of experimental results were in good agreement with the theoretical model. PMID:26790840

It is important to know the electrokinetic properties of crustal rocks for interpreting the conductivity mechanisms and seismoelectric phenomena during earthquakes and seismoelectric well logging. In this study, electrokinetic experiments are conducted using a special core-holder by employing an AC lock-in technique. A series of experiments are conducted on 10 sandstone samples to measure the streaming potentials and streaming currents, and the experiments on each sample are done at six different salinities. The streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient are calculated from the measured streaming potentials and streaming currents. The experimental results show that streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient decrease as the salinity increases. The dependence of these two coefficients on permeability and pore radius are analysed and compared with previous works. At low salinities, the streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient increase with the increasing permeability and pore radius. At high salinities, the streaming potential coefficient (streaming current coefficient) almost share a same value for 10 different samples. This conclusion indicates that the differences of rock parameters can only be well recognized at lower salinities, and the electrokinetic signals are invalid at high salinities, which offers a restrictive condition for using the amplitude of electrokinetic signals to estimate rock parameters. The zeta-potential have also been estimated through combined measurements of streaming potential and streaming current. The surface conductivity and its contribution to electrokinetic effects are determined from a comparison of zeta-potentials by two different methods, and then the validation of the Helmholz-Smoluchowski equation for a capillary tube is tested in rocks. We also compare our date with theoretical and experimental works, and set up an expression about the relationship between

The surface of polymer colloids, especially polystyrene latexes, were modified for the purpose of controlling the electrokinetic properties of the resulting colloids. Achievement required a knowledge of electrical double layer charging mechanism, as a function of the electrolyte conditions, at the polymer/water interface. The experimental approach is to control the recipe formulation in the emulsion polymerization process so as to systematically vary the strong acid group concentration on the surface of the polymer particles. The electrophoretic mobility of these model particles will then be measured as a function of surface group concentration and as a function of electrolyte concentration and type. An effort was also made to evaluate the electrophoretic mobility of polystyrene latexes made in space and to compare the results with latexes made on the ground.

This study investigated the effect of the serial connection of two pumping chambers on transport of liquid with increased viscosity. A serially connected valveless piezoelectric micropump was fabricated inspired by the liquid-feeding strategy of a female mosquito drinking liquid with a wide range of viscosities, from nectar to blood. The performance of the micropump was investigated by varying the viscosity of working liquid. Results showed that the optimal phase difference between the two chambers was 180° out-of-phase for all viscosity conditions. The two chambers operating at 180° out-of-phase exhibited higher pumping performance compared with the sum of each single chamber solely actuated, when viscosity increased. The flow patterns in the micropump showed that the rectification efficiency improved with the increase in viscosity. Results indicated that the serially connected valveless piezoelectric micropump is more robust to the increase of viscosity than a single-chamber piezoelectric micropump. This study would be helpful in the design of microfluidic devices for transporting liquids with a wide range of viscosities. PMID:27127192

In this paper, we propose a valveless magnetic micropump for lab-on-a-chip and microfluidic applications. The micropump, based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), consists primarily of a saw-toothed microchannel, two substrates, and two integrated NdFeB permanent magnetic arrays. The travelling wave beneath the top wall of the elastic microchannel can be induced by the proper magnetic pole orientation arrangement of these magnetic arrays, and the liquid particles are then transported along with the travelling wave in the microchannel. Appropriate geometry of the saw-toothed microchannel was also studied for optimizing the performance of the micropump. Experimental characterization of the micropump has been performed in terms of the frequency response of the flow rate and backpressure. The results demonstrate that this micropump is capable of reliably generating a maximum flow rate of 342.4 μL min-1 and operating against a high backpressure of 1.67 kPa.

A fuel cell is a device that can convert chemical energy into electricity directly. Among various types of fuel cells, both polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) can work at low temperature (<80 °C). Therefore, they can be used to supply power for commercial portable electronics such as laptop computers, digital cameras, PDAs and cell phones. The focus of this paper is to investigate the performance of a miniaturized DMFC device using a micropump to deliver fuel. The core of this micropump is a piezoelectric ring-type bending actuator and the associated nozzle/diffuser for directing fuel flow. Based on the experimental measurements, it is found that the performance of the fuel cell can be significantly improved if enough fuel flow is induced by the micropump at anode. Three factors may contribute to the performance enhancement including replenishment of methanol, decrease of diffusion resistance and removal of carbon dioxide. In comparison with conventional mini pumps, the size of the piezoelectric micropump is much smaller and the energy consumption is much lower. Thus, it is very viable and effective to use a piezoelectric valveless micropump for fuel delivery in miniaturized DMFC power systems.

In this paper, we present a monolithic PDMS micropump that generates peristaltic flow using a single control channel that actuates a group of different-sized microvalves. An elastomeric microvalve design with a raised seat, which improves bonding reliability, is incorporated into the micropump. Pump performance is evaluated based on several design parameters--size, number, and connection of successive microvalves along with control channel pressure at various operating frequencies. Flow rates ranging 0-5.87 µL min(-1) were observed. The micropump design demonstrated here represents a substantial reduction in the number of/real estate taken up by the control lines that are required to run a peristaltic pump, hence it should become a widespread tool for parallel fluid processing in high-throughput microfluidics. PMID:20957288

Electroosmotic (EO) effect means fluid flow (through a porous medium) induced by an applied electric field E. EO pumps have the advantages of no moving parts and easily-controlled accurate flow rate at low applied voltages. We have fabricated nano-channel EO membrane pumps using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as the template [1]. The diameter of the uniform-sized nanochannels can range from 60-300nm, with a membrane thickness of 30-100 microns. The EO effect is enhanced by coating the nano-channels with silica. By using de-ionized water, the nanopump performance is shown to agree reasonably well with the theoretical model, with factors such as the ratio of the double layer thickness to channel diameter, channel geometry, and treatment of the AAO membranes playing important roles. With silica coating to the nanochannels, the nanopump can produce a maximum pressure of 1 atm and a maximum flow rate of 86,000μL/min.cm2 under an applied field of 0.94 V/μm. Besides DI water, the micropumps have also been tested to work well with salt, acid or base solution. [1] J.Y. Miao, Z.L. Xu, X.Y. Zhang, N. Wang, Z.Y. Yang, P. Sheng, submitted to Advanced Materials (Appeared online: 10.1002/adma.200700767).

Pumping liquids at low Reynolds numbers is challenging because of the principle of reversibility. We report here a class of microfluidic pump designs based on tilted flexible structures that combines the concepts of cilia (flexible elastic elements) and rectifiers (e.g., Tesla valves, check valves). We demonstrate proof-of-concept with 2D and 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics®of micropumps consisting of a source for oscillatory fluidic motion, e.g. a piston, and a channel lined with tilted flexible rods or sheets to provide rectification. When flow is against the rod tilt direction, the rods bend backward, narrowing the channel and increasing flow resistance; when flow is in the direction of rod tilt, the rods bend forward, widening the channel and decreasing flow resistance. The 2D and 3D simulations involve moving meshes whose quality is maintained by prescribing the mesh displacement on guide surfaces positioned on either side of each flexible structure. The prescribed displacement depends on structure bending and maintains mesh quality even for large deformations. Simulations demonstrate effective pumping even at Reynolds numbers as low as 0.001. Because rod rigidity may be specified independently of Reynolds number, in principle, rod rigidity may be reduced to enable pumping at arbitrarily low Reynolds numbers.

This study presents the transient nature and performance of viscous micropump for low Reynolds number where flow is assumed laminar, unsteady, incompressible and two dimensional. The device consists of a cylinder placed eccentrically inside an extremely narrow channel, where channel axis is perpendicular to cylinder axis. When the cylinder rotates, it generates a net force on fluid due to unequal shear stresses on the top and bottom surfaces of the cylinder. This net force is capable of generating a net flow against a pressure gradient. The flow field inside the micro channel has been analyzed by using structured grid Finite Volume Method (FVM) based on Navier-Stokes equation. All parameters used in flow simulation are expressed in non-dimensional quantities for better understanding of flow behavior, regardless of dimensions or the fluid that is used. The effect of the channel height (S), the cylinder eccentricity (ɛ), the Reynolds number (Re) and Pump load (P*) have been studied. Various flow patterns inside the micro pump as well as variations in flow velocity with time are obtained. Both the steady state and transient results of viscous micro pump are validated. It is found that the average velocity of fluid increases with increasing cylinder eccentricity and decreases with increasing the channel height.

This paper characterizes a bi-directional pneumatic diaphragm micropump and presents a model for performance of an integrated fluidic capacitor. The fluidic capacitor is used to convert pulsatile flow into a nearly continuous flow stream. The pump was fabricated in acrylic using a CNC mill. The stroke volume of the pump is ~1 µL. The pump is self-priming, bubble tolerant and insensitive to changes in head pressure and pneumatic pressure within its operating range. The pump achieves a maximum flow rate of 5 mL min-1 against zero head pressure. With pneumatic pressure set to 40 kPa, the pump can provide flow at 2.6 mL min-1 against a head pressure of 25 kPa. A nonlinear model for the capacitor was developed and compared with experimental results. The ratio of the time constant of the capacitor to the cycle time of the pump is shown to be an accurate indicator of capacitor performance and a useful design tool.

A one-dimensional model is developed for simulating the electrokinetic treatment of saturated porous media contaminated with an ionic salt. Simulations of simple, unenhanced electrokinetic treatment for the removal of a nonamphoteric salt such as cadmium sulfate exhibit a severe drop-off in electric current and in remediation rate after about 50-60% of the cation has been removed. Simulation of electrokinetic treatment in which the OH{sup -} generated in the cathode compartment is partially neutralized by the addition of acid show rapid and complete removal of the cation. Partial neutralization of H{sup +} in the anode compartment by addition of base results in immobilization of the toxic metal as the solid hydroxide, although this should be a useful technique for the removal of arsenate and selenate.

Using a recently developed multiphase electrokinetic model, we simulate the transient electrohydrodynamic response of a liquid drop containing ions, to both small and large values of electric field. The temporal evolution is found to be governed primarily by two dimensionless groups: (i) Ohnesorge number (Oh), a ratio of viscous to inertio-capillary effects, and (ii) inverse dimensionless Debye length (κ), a measure of the diffuse regions of charge that develop in the drop. The effects of dielectric polarization dominate at low Oh, while effects of separated charge gain importance with increase in Oh. For small values of electric field, the deformation behaviour of a drop is shown to be accurately described by a simple analytical expression. At large electric fields, the drops are unstable and eject progeny drops. Depending on Oh and κ this occurs via dripping or jetting; the regime transitions are shown by a Oh-κ phase map. In contrast to previous studies, we find universal scaling relations to predict size and charge of progeny drops. Our simulations suggest charge transport plays a significant role in drop dynamics for 0.1 ≤ Oh ≤ 10, a parameter range of interest in microscale flows. PMID:26954299

The behavior of dielectric fluids used for the cooling and insulation of power system equipment is significantly influenced by motion enforced by the action of circulating pumps. Not only can charges generated by streaming electrification accumulate to distort the electric field in positions where dielectric integrity is prejudiced, but the dielectric strength of the fluid is also altered per se by the actions of the flow in a complex, but predictable manner. Three important electrokinetic effects in transformer oil subjected to forced circulation are experimentally investigated using laboratory model ducts. Careful breakdown measurements with sustained voltage on flowing fluids have been extended to pulse voltages with a view to establishing the nature of time dependencies. The use of Schlieren optics on the duct has also demonstrated that flow patterns are modified by the imposition of electric fields through electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects. Present model studies invite speculation that not only streaming electrification but also forced circulation per se may prejudice dielectric structure in power system equipment and these effects need to be understood to permit informed design and safe operation. These models are discussed in this paper. 122 refs., 82 figs., 10 tabs.

Experiments have been conducted to investigate the capabilities of electrokinetic decontamination of concrete. Batch equilibration studies have determined that the loading of cesium and strontium on concrete may be decreased using electrolyte solutions containing competing cations, while solubilization of uranium and cobalt, that precipitate at high pH, will require lixiviants containing complexing agents. Dynamic electrokinetic experiments showed greater mobility of cesium than strontium, while some positive results were obtained for the transport of cobalt through concrete using EDTA and for uranium using carbonate.

This paper presents the design and flow rate predictions of an IPMC (ionic polymer-metal composite) actuator-driven valve-less micropump. It should be noted that IPMC is a promising material candidate for micropump applications since it can be operated with low input voltages and can produce large stroke volumes, while having controllable flow rates. The micropump manufacturing process with IPMC is also convenient; it is anticipated that the manufacturing cost of the IPMC micropump is competitive with other technologies. In order to design an effective IPMC diaphragm that functions as an actuating motor for a micropump, a finite element analysis (FEA) was utilized to optimize the electrode shape of the IPMC diaphragm and estimate its stroke volumes. In addition, the effect of the pump chamber pressure on the stroke volume was numerically investigated. Appropriate inlet and outlet nozzle/diffuser elements were also studied for the valve-less micropump. Based on the selected geometry of nozzle/diffuser elements and the estimated stroke volume of the IPMC diaphragm, the flow rate of the micropump was estimated at a low Reynolds number of about 50.

Phytoremediation is a sustainable process in which green plants are used for the removal or elimination of contaminants in soils. Both organic and inorganic contaminants can be removed or degraded by growing plants by several mechanisms, namely phytoaccumulation, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, rhizofiltration and rhizodegradation. Phytoremediation has several advantages: it can be applied in situ over large areas, the cost is low, and the soil does not undergo significant damages. However, the restoration of a contaminated site by phytoremediation requires a long treatment time since the remediation depends on the growth and the biological cycles of the plant. It is only applicable for shallow depths within the reach of the roots, and the remediation efficiency largely depends on the physico-chemical properties of the soil and the bioavailability of the contaminants. The combination of phytoremediation and electrokinetics has been proposed in an attempt to avoid, in part, the limitations of phytoremediation. Basically, the coupled phytoremediation-electrokinetic technology consists of the application of a low intensity electric field to the contaminated soil in the vicinity of growing plants. The electric field may enhance the removal of the contaminants by increasing the bioavailability of the contaminants. Variables that affect the coupled technology are: the use of AC or DC current, voltage level and mode of voltage application (continuous or periodic), soil pH evolution, and the addition of facilitating agents to enhance the mobility and bioavailability of the contaminants. Several technical and practical challenges still remain that must be overcome through future research for successful application of this coupled technology at actual field sites. PMID:23835413

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a recently developed model for computing complex fluid flows at mesoscopic scales. This article provides a novel DPD simulation of complex microfluidic devices involving the momentum exchange between a body moving with a prescribed law of motion and the surrounding fluid. To this purpose, a DPD computational method is developed and equipped with an elastic collision model between the moving body and the DPD fluid particles surrounding it. The method is first validated versus well known theoretical, numerical, and experimental results, providing a sensitivity analysis of the dependence of continuum-flow properties on DPD parameters, as well as verifying its reliability for well known continuum-flow test cases. The method is then applied to its main goal, namely, the simulation of the flow driven by a peristaltic micropump, constructed by assembling several colloidal spheres. The DPD fluid model provides quite accurate results with respect to the experimental data and gives a detailed description of local flow properties. It is found that a careful choice of the DPD parameters is needed to avoid spurious compressibility effects and to match the real fluid characteristics; furthermore, due to the very coarse graining used in the present simulation, the thermal kinetic energy of the DPD particles needs to be reduced, in order to correctly evaluate their displacement, which is determined mainly by the momentum driving the flow. Finally, thanks to such a very coarse graining, the proposed DPD method provides an accurate prediction of local mesoscale flow properties with a dramatic reduction of the computational cost with respect to molecular dynamics simulations.

An electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction micropump with symmetric planar electrodes is developed to investigate the effect of micropump chamber dimensions on static pressure and flow rate. The interdigitated electrodes are created on an FR-4 CCL (copper clad laminate) using photolithography. The micropump consists of an electrode plate, chamber plate, top and bottom end cover. A 2D numerical simulation study is conducted to provide details about the ion distribution and fluid flow behaviors within a local domain of micropumps with different chamber height. Experimental results show that, by increasing chamber height, the static pressure and flow rate rise with a big slope under a chamber height of 0.2 mm, and henceforth decrease dramatically. The variation trends of static pressure and flow rate with an increase in chamber height are determined by the combination of ion concentration distribution and fluidic circulation formed between the two electrodes. Additionally, the effect of the chamber width and length is experimentally analyzed for optimum pressure and output flow rate.

Many biomedical applications require the administration of drugs at a precise and preferably programmable rate. The flow rate generated by the peristaltic micropumps used in such applications depends on the actuation sequence. Accordingly, the current study performs an analytical and experimental investigation to determine the correlation between the dynamic response of the diaphragms in the micropump and the actuation sequence. A simple analytical model of a peristaltic micropump is established to analyze the shift in the resonant frequency of the diaphragms caused by the viscous damping effect. The analytical results show that this damping effect increases as the oscillation frequency of the diaphragm increases. A peristaltic micropump with three piezoelectric actuators is fabricated on a silicon substrate and is actuated using 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-phase actuation sequences via a driving system comprising a microprocessor and a phase controller. A series of experiments is conducted using de-ionized water as the working fluid to determine the diaphragm displacement and the flow rates induced by each of the different actuation sequences under phase frequencies ranging from 50 Hz to 1 MHz. The results show that the damping effect of actuation sequences influences diaphragm resonant frequency, which in turn affects the profiles of flow rates. PMID:18821016

We developed microfluidic devices integrated with microvalves and micropumps which is essential to develop a lab-on-a-chip. The advantage of the proposed device includes low cost fabrication process and the optical transparency using PDMS and ITO glass. Also the proposed micropump has the same fabrication process and substrate with the in-channel structured microvalve. The flow rate of the microvalve is proportional to the channel width, however, the power needed to close the microvalve is around 100 mW which is almost the same regardless of the channel width. The flow rate can be well controlled by ON/OFF switching function of the ITO heater and the closing and the opening times are around 20 sec and 25 sec, respectively. The pumping rate of the micropump increases linearly as the applied pulse voltage to the ITO heater increases. The maximum pump rate of 78 nl/min was obtained at the applied frequency of 6 Hz and duty ratio of 10 %. The characteristics of microfluidic devices integrated with microvalve and micropump will be optimized.

In this paper, we describe a self-priming high performance piezoelectrically actuated check valve diaphragm micropump. The micropump was fabricated from three wafers: two silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and one silicon wafer. A process named 'SOI/SOI wafer bonding and etching back followed by a second wafer bonding' was developed in order to make the core components of this device which included an inlet check valve, an outlet check valve, a diaphragm and a chamber. The movable structures of this device, i.e. the check valves and the diaphragm, were fabricated from the device layers of the two bonded SOI wafers. Taking advantages of SOI wafer technology and etch-stop layers, the vertical parameters of the movable structures were precisely controlled in fabrication. The micropump was self-priming without any pre-filling process. The pumping rate of the micropump was linearly adjustable from 0 to 650l µm min-1 by adjusting frequency. The maximum pumping rate was 860 µl min-1 and the maximum pumping pressure was approximately 10.5 psi. The power consumption of the device was less than 1.2 mW.

Shape memory thin films offer a unique combination of novel properties and have the potential to become a primary actuating mechanism for micropumps. In this study, a micropump driven by TiNiCu shape memory thin film is designed and fabricated. The micropump is composed of a TiNiCu/Si bimorph driving membrane, a pump chamber and two inlet and outlet check valves. The property of TiNiCu films and driving capacity of TiNiCu/Si bimorph driving membrane are investigated. By using the recoverable force of TiNiCu thin film and biasing force of silicon membrane, the actuation diaphragm realizes reciprocating motion effectively. Experimental results show that the film surface appears a smooth and featureless morphology without any cracks, and the hysteresis width ΔT of TiNiCu film is about 2-3°C, the micropump driving by TiNiCu film has good performance, such as high pumping yield, high working frequency, stable driving capacity, and long fatigue life time.

This communication first demonstrates bio-compatibility of a recently developed opto-electrokinetic manipulation technique, using microorganisms. Aggregation, patterning, translation, trapping and size-based separation of microorganisms performed with the technique firmly establishes its usefulness for development of a high-performance on-chip bioassay system.

An experimental study of electrokinetic effects (streaming potential) in earth materials was undertaken. The objective was to evaluate the measurement of electrokinetic effects as a method of monitoring and predicting the movement of groundwater, contaminant plumes, and other fluids in the subsurface. The laboratory experiments verified that the electrokinetic effects in earth materials are prominent, repeatable, and can be described well to first order by a pair of coupled differential equations.

The overarching goal which initiated this research was the desire to learn how to synthesize artificial micrometer- and nanometer-sized objects which have the ability to move autonomously in solution, and to be able to understand, predict, and control their movements. In the natural world, such motion is common. Bacteria, for instance, use flagella, cilia, or other mechanisms to chemotax to nutrient-rich regions of their environments. However, at the outset of this research, only a few simple examples of artificially powered motions on the microscale had been reported in the literature. This dissertation discusses the evolution of artificial catalytic micromotors and micropumps from the initial bimetallic-microrod design, which catalyzed the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), to the current state of the field, in which particle motion can also be powered by hydrazine-derived fuels or by ultraviolet light. Analyses of these new motors are presented, with particular emphasis given to the motormotor interactions which occur in solution and which give rise to collective behavior in dense populations of the motors. The first artificial autonomous micromotor ever synthesized consisted of a bimetallic microrod with spatially segregated gold and platinum segments. When placed in aqueous solutions containing H2O2, this microrod decomposed the H2O2 asymmetrically on its two metallic surfaces and powered its own motion through solution via self-electrophoresis. In this dissertation, it is shown that a similar self-electrophoretic mechanism is at play in a micropump system comprised of spatially segregated, lithographically patterned, palladium and gold features, which operates in solutions of either hydrazine (N2H4) or N,N-dimethylhydrazine [(CH 3)2N(NH3)]. While this new electrophoretic system is interesting from a theoretical standpoint, N2H4 is highly toxic, and the decision was made to move on to other more environmentally friendly systems. The bulk of this

Heavy-metal contamination of soil and groundwater is a widespread problem in industrial nations. Remediation by excavation of such sites may not be cost effective or politically acceptable. Electrokinetic remediation is one possible remediation technique for in situ removal of such contaminants from unsaturated soils. Previous papers discussing the work performed by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Sat-Unsat, Inc. (SUI) (Lindgren et al., 1991, 1992, 1993) focused on the transport of contaminants and dyes by electrokinetics in unsaturated soils. These experiments were conducted with graphite electrodes with no extraction system. As the contaminants migrated through the soil, they increased in concentration at the electrode creating a diffusion flux in the opposite direction. This paper discusses a technique to remove the contaminants from unsaturated soils once they have reached an electrode.

One important element to the success of electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soils may be the assessment and control of the soil surface chemistry. This is usually reflected by an operative zeta-potential or electroosmotic coefficient, k{sub eo}, found by an electroosmosis test on a plug of contaminated soil. However, several researchers have shown that both the magnitude and uniformity of k{sub eo} change over the course of testing, as does the electric field intensity and zeta-potential, two basic parameters of the fundamental driving force. The electric field intensity can be measured during the test, but it is more difficult to assess the zeta potential. Independent techniques are needed. A conventional technique is dilute electrophoresis, but this test may not be truly representative or convenient. In this research summary, alternative techniques based on electroacoustic phenomena are presented in conjunction with other electrokinetic tests on reference and contaminated soils.

The combined effect of two modes of electroconvection, i.e., (a) the electro-osmotic flow of the second kind induced by a curved membrane surface and (b) electrokinetic instability, is studied numerically. Both physical mechanisms are responsible for electric current enhancement to the surface, and these modes are strongly nonlinearly coupled. For the limiting regimes, their resonant interaction near the threshold of instability with a corresponding resonantly amplified current enhancement is found. For the overlimiting regimes, inside the unstable region, their interaction becomes more complex with negative “sideband” and positive “subharmonic” resonant interactions. Wall corrugation can still be in resonance with the unstable modes. At some wave numbers of corrugation, these two mechanisms compete and electrokinetic instability can even be completely suppressed by the wall corrugation.

Electrokinetics is emerging as a promising technology for in situ soil remediation. This technique is especially attractive for Superfund sites and government operations which contain large volumes of contaminated soil. The approach uses an applied electric field to induce transport of both radioactive and hazardous waste ions in soil. The transport mechanisms include electroosmosis, electromigration, and electrophoresis. The feasibility of using electrokinetics to move radioactive {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}Co at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, is discussed. A closed cell is used to provide in situ measurements of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}Co movement in Hanford soil. Preliminary results of ionic movement, along with the corresponding current response, are presented.

The effect of enhancement reagents on the efficiency of electrokinetic remediation of Cu contaminated red soil is evaluated. The enhancement agents were a mix of organic acids, including lactic acid+NaOH, HAc-NaAc and HAc-NaAc+EDTA. The soil was prepared to an initial Cu concentration of 438 mgkg(-1) by incubating the soil with CuSO4 solution in a flooded condition for 1 month. Sequential extraction showed that Cu was partitioned in the soil as follows: 195 mgkg(-1) as water soluble and exchangeable, 71 mgkg(-1) as carbonate bound and 105 mgkg(-1) as Fe and Mn oxides. The results indicate that neutralizing the catholyte pH maintains a lower soil pH compared to that without electrokinetic treatment. The electric currents varied depending upon the conditioning solutions and increased with an increasing applied voltage potential. The electroosmotic flow rate changed significantly when different conditioning enhancing reagents were used. It was observed that lactic acid+NaOH treatments resulted in higher soil electric conductivities than HAc-NaAc and HAc-NaAc+EDTA treatments. Ultimately, enhancement by lactic acid+NaOH resulted in highest removal efficiency (81% Cu removal) from the red soil. The presence of EDTA did not enhance Cu removal efficiencies from the red soil, because EDTA complexed with Cu to form negatively charge complexes, which slowly migrated toward the anode chamber retarding Cu2+ transport towards the cathode. PMID:15172599

Composite thin films incorporating vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) offer promise for a variety of applications where the vertical alignment of the CNTs is critical to meet performance requirements, e.g., highly permeable membranes, thermal interfaces, dry adhesives, and films with anisotropic electrical conductivity. However, current VACNT fabrication techniques are complex and difficult to scale up. Here, we describe a solution-based, electric-field-assisted approach as a cost-effective and scalable method to produce large-area VACNT composites. Multiwall-carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a polymeric matrix, aligned with an alternating-current (AC) electric field, and electrophoretically concentrated to one side of the thin film with a direct-current (DC) component to the electric field. This approach enables the fabrication of highly concentrated, individually aligned nanotube composites from suspensions of very dilute ( ϕ = 4 × 10 - 4 ) volume fraction. We experimentally investigate the basic electrokinetics of nanotube alignment under AC electric fields, and show that simple models can adequately predict the rate and degree of nanotube alignment using classical expressions for the induced dipole moment, hydrodynamic drag, and the effects of Brownian motion. The composite AC + DC field also introduces complex fluid motion associated with AC electro-osmosis and the electrochemistry of the fluid/electrode interface. We experimentally probe the electric-field parameters behind these electrokinetic phenomena, and demonstrate, with suitable choices of processing parameters, the ability to scalably produce large-area composites containing VACNTs at number densities up to 1010 nanotubes/cm2. This VACNT number density exceeds that of previous electric-field-fabricated composites by an order of magnitude, and the surface-area coverage of the 40 nm VACNTs is comparable to that of chemical-vapor-deposition-grown arrays of smaller-diameter nanotubes.

The classical theory of electrokinetic phenomena is based on the mean-field approximation that the electric field acting on an individual ion is self-consistently determined by the local mean charge density. This paper considers situations, such as concentrated electrolytes, multivalent electrolytes, or solvent-free ionic liquids, where the mean-field approximation breaks down. A fourth-order modified Poisson equation is developed that captures the essential features in a simple continuum framework. The model is derived as a gradient approximation for nonlocal electrostatics of interacting effective charges, where the permittivity becomes a differential operator, scaled by a correlation length. The theory is able to capture subtle aspects of molecular simulations and allows for simple calculations of electrokinetic flows in correlated ionic fluids. Charge-density oscillations tend to reduce electro-osmotic flow and streaming current, and overscreening of surface charge can lead to flow reversal. These effects also help to explain the suppression of induced-charge electrokinetic phenomena at high salt concentrations. PMID:23214872

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in finding new and innovative solutions for the efficient removal of contaminants from soils to solve groundwater, as well as soil, pollution. The objective of this review is to examine several alternative soil-remediating technologies, with respect to heavy metal remediation, pointing out their strengths and drawbacks and placing an emphasis on electrokinetic soil remediation technology. In addition, the review presents detailed theoretical aspects, design and operational considerations of electrokinetic soil-remediation variables, which are most important in efficient process application, as well as the advantages over other technologies and obstacles to overcome. The review discusses possibilities of removing selected heavy metal contaminants from clay and sandy soils, both saturated and unsaturated. It also gives selected efficiency rates for heavy metal removal, the dependence of these rates on soil variables, and operational conditions, as well as a cost-benefit analysis. Finally, several emerging in situ electrokinetic soil remediation technologies, such as Lasagna, Elektro-Klean, electrobioremediation, etc., are reviewed, and their advantages, disadvantages and possibilities in full-scale commercial applications are examined. PMID:12049409

We present a numerical framework to model the electrokinetic transport in microchannels with random roughness. The three-dimensional microstructure of the rough channel is generated by a random generation-growth method with three statistical parameters to control the number density, the total volume fraction, and the anisotropy characteristics of roughness elements. The governing equations for the electrokinetic transport are solved by a high-efficiency lattice Poisson?Boltzmann method in complex geometries. The effects from the geometric characteristics of roughness on the electrokinetic transport in microchannels are therefore modeled and analyzed. For a given total roughness volume fraction, a higher number density leads to a lower fluctuation because of the random factors. The electroosmotic flow rate increases with the roughness number density nearly logarithmically for a given volume fraction of roughness but decreases with the volume fraction for a given roughness number density. When both the volume fraction and the number density of roughness are given, the electroosmotic flow rate is enhanced by the increase of the characteristic length along the external electric field direction but is reduced by that in the direction across the channel. For a given microstructure of the rough microchannel, the electroosmotic flow rate decreases with the Debye length. It is found that the shape resistance of roughness is responsible for the flow rate reduction in the rough channel compared to the smooth channel even for very thin double layers, and hence plays an important role in microchannel electroosmotic flows.

A traveling wave dielectrophoresis microfluid pump based on structural dispersion is demonstrated. The phase shift between medium polarization and applied propagating field, necessary to generate asynchronous propagative forces in dielectrophoresis, is generated by an RC circuit consisting of the electrode insulator and the liquid conductivity. Since the device characteristics involve only bulk properties, the micropump does not require conductivity gradient or double layers, unlike existing micropumps using electro-osmosis and electrohydrodynamic shear forces. Its frequency of maximum pumping force can be made considerably lower than the dielectric relaxation frequency of the liquid. By decomposing the traveling wave electrode array into a rudimentary RC model, coincidence is found between optimized pumping conditions and crossover of the impedance measured between electrode combs. By using impedance spectroscopy alternately with pumping, the frequency of the applied signal can be matched in real-time to the complex dielectric constant of the liquid to keep the pumping force maximized.

The blood is one of the best indicators of health because blood circulates all body tissues and collects information. The COC(Cyclo Olefin Copolymer) has better various properties than PMMA(Polymethy Mechacrylate) and PC(Polycarbonate) that are widely used in biotechnology field. This paper presents a new method of plasma separation on the COC in terms of surface modification for the development of a disposable protein chip. The blood plasma separation device was composed of a whole blood inlet, microchannel with filtration region of micropillars, micropump with microheater, and a blood cell outlet. Micropump with microheater was designed by ANSYS and flow model in the microchannel was designed by CFD-ACE + simulators. We successfully fabricated a polymer based microfluidic device for blood plasma separation by MEMS(Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology. By using this device, cell-free plasma was successfully obtained through the filtration from a drop of whole blood without external force of a syringe pump.

This paper discusses recent work on cotton/synthetic nonwovens, their electrokinetic analysis, and their potential use in incontinence materials. Electrokinetic analysis is useful in exploring fiber surface polarity properties, and it is a useful tool to render a snap shot of the role of fiber char...

An integrated soil remediation technology called Lasagna has been developed that combines electrokinetics with treatment zones for use in low permeability soils where the rates of hydraulic and electrokinetic transport are too low to be useful for remediation of contaminants. The...

Challenges remain in the remediation of low-permeability porous media (e.g. clays, silts) contaminated with dissolved and sorbed organic contaminants. Current remediation technologies, such as in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), are often ineffective and the treatment region is limited by very slow rates of groundwater flow (advection) or molecular diffusion. Several studies (e.g. Reynolds et al. 2008) have highlighted the potential at a laboratory scale for utilising electrokinetic transport, through the application of an electric field, to deliver a remediation compound (e.g. permanganate, persulfate) within heterogeneous and low-permeability sediments for ISCO (termed EK-ISCO) or other treatments. A numerical modelling approach is highly beneficial to optimise the efficacy of EK-ISCO remediation. A numerical model was developed that simulates groundwater flow and multi-species reactive transport under hydraulic and electric gradients (Wu et al. 2010). Coupled into the existing, previously verified reactive transport model PHT3D (Prommer, Barry and Zheng 2003), the model was verified against analytical and experimental studies. This study, through numerical modelling, investigated the feasibility of various factors, such as electrode configurations, applied voltage and oxidant loading, for EK-ISCO treatment at several field sites. Successful in situ oxidation is dependent upon the electrokinetic transport and dispersal of oxidant through the contaminated region, however this is limited by modelled conditions such as natural oxidant demand and contaminant phase. Electrode configurations investigated included one-dimensional or two-dimensional configurations, unidirectional, bidirectional or rotational operations, and position of oxidant injection. References Prommer, H, Barry, DA and Zheng, C 2003, 'MODFLOW/MT3DMS-Based Reactive Multicomponent Transport Modeling', Ground Water, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 247-257. Reynolds, DA, Jones, EH, Gillen, M, Yusoff, I and Thomas

A diffuser/nozzle pair serves as a flow rectifying element in a valveless micropump, which is one key component in microfluidics devices. This paper proposes a diffuser/nozzle element with extended sidewall, `lip', at the diffuser's large opening end. This novel structure is based on the fluid mechanism concept that an extended sidewall introduces extra entrance pressure loss, which is preferred in the nozzle direction. A clear improvement in efficiency is observed in both the numerical and experimental results.

A novel electrolysis-based micropump using air bubbles to achieve indirect actuation is proposed and demonstrated. Compared with other electrochemical micropumps, our micropump can drive microfluids without inducing the pH value variation in the main channel and the choking/sticking phenomena of electrolytic bubbles. It is promising for biomedical applications, especially for blood transportation. Our proposed on-chip electrolysis-bubble actuator with the features of room temperature operation, low driving voltage, low power consumption and large actuation force not only can minimize the possibility of cell-damage but also may enable portable and implantable lab-on-a-chip microsystems. Utilizing our proposed hydrophobic trapeziform pattern located at the junction of the T-shaped microchannel, the micropump makes the pumped fluid in the main channel be isolated from the electrolytic bubbles. It can be used for a variety of applications without the constraints on the pumped liquid. Experimental results show that the liquid displacement and the pumping rate could be easily and accurately controlled via the signal of a two-phase peristaltic sequence and the periodic generation of electrolytic bubbles. With an applied voltage of 2.5 V, the maximum pumping rate for DI water and whole blood were 121 nl min(-1) and 88 nl min(-1), respectively, with a channel cross section of 100 x 50 microm. Maximum back-pressure of 16 kPa and 11 kPa for DI water and whole blood, respectively, were achieved in our present prototype chips. PMID:19458858

A novel micropump with fixed-geometry valves was designed and tested with a leakage barrier to reduce leakage flow. Conventional micropumps with fixed-geometry valves have achieved net positive fluid flow from different fluid resistances in diffuser/nozzle channels. However, those micropumps are susceptible to leakage flow even at low pressure differences between the inlet and the outlet because the channels remain normally open state when the pumps are not in operation. Therefore, a leakage barrier in the chamber was designed to reduce leakage flow without interfering with the net positive fluid flow of the diffuser/nozzle channels. The diffuser/nozzle channels, the chamber and the leakage barrier were fabricated on the silicon substrate by KOH etching and the silicon substrate was anodically bonded with a Pyrex glass plate. A PZT disk was bonded on the glass plate by epoxy and was actuated to oscillate the glass diaphragm for flow generation. When the micropump is not operating, the leakage barrier removes most of the gap between the glass plate and the bottom of the chamber. It was experimentally confirmed that the leakage barrier reduced the leakage flow by 96% compared to the case of no leakage barrier at a pressure difference of -400 Pa. Moreover, by applying the holding dc voltage to the PZT disk, a smaller gap can be obtained reducing the leakage flow further down to 0.043 µL min-1 at a holding dc voltage of 100 V. The maximum flow rate was 3.9 µL min-1 at a peak-to-peak driving voltage of 150 V at 20 Hz with a maximum back pressure of around 800 Pa. The approximate device size was 18 × 25 mm2.

A reciprocating single-chamber micropump is designed and experimentally tested. The actuation technique of the pump is based on Lorentz force acting on an array of low-weight microwires placed on a flexible membrane surface. A square-wave electric current (5.6 and 7.8 A) with a low-frequency range (5.6 to 7.6 Hz) is applied through the microwires in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field (0.08 to 0.09 T). The resultant oscillating Lorentz force causes the membrane to oscillate with the same frequency, and pushes the fluid to flow toward the outlet using a high-efficiency ball-valve. The micropump has exhibited a maximum efficiency of 2.03% with a flow rate as high as 490 μl/s and back pressure up to 1.5 kPa. Having a high self-pumping frequency of Fsp=32.71/min compared to other micropumps, our proposed pump is suitable for a wide range of applications specifically for biofluid transport.

A micropump-actuated negative pressure pinched injection method is developed for parallel electrophoresis on a multi-channel LIF detection system. The system has a home-made device that could individually control 16-port solenoid valves and a high-voltage power supply. The laser beam is excitated and distributes to the array separation channels for detection. The hybrid Glass-PDMS microfluidic chip comprises two common reservoirs, four separation channels coupled to their respective pneumatic micropumps and two reference channels. Due to use of pressure as a driving force, the proposed method has no sample bias effect for separation. There is only one high-voltage supply needed for separation without relying on the number of channels, which is significant for high-throughput analysis, and the time for sample loading is shortened to 1 s. In addition, the integrated micropumps can provide the versatile interface for coupling with other function units to satisfy the complicated demands. The performance is verified by separation of DNA marker and Hepatitis B virus DNA samples. And this method is also expected to show the potential throughput for the DNA analysis in the field of disease diagnosis. PMID:19681052

The micro-pump is one of the most promising micro-flow devices. At micro-level electronically controlled pumping of any fluid by a mechanical pump is not so easy and reliable. In the realm of nano-tech materials, ferrofluids have unique properties in both liquids and solids and have potential applications for MEMS/NEMS devices. This paper presents two new types of concepts, a micro-flowmeter based on a micro-turbine made using MEMS technology and the other is a micro-pump based on ferrofluidic actuation. In our first device an optical photovoltaic sensor has also been integrated with this device, and the micro-turbine rotates with a speed of 50000 rpm. We have fabricated a ferrofluid-based glass micro-pump of size 20 × 20 × 10 mm^{3}, in which micro actuation is electrically controlled by NdFeB (N50) permanent magnets (diameter 5 × 3 mm, B_{r} = 1400 mT, coercive field H_c=840 ,kA/m) with a ferrofluid bearing. The device is able to pump the fluid at the rate of 10 μ L/actuation. Figs 3, Refs 19.

The paper reports the first study on the backpressure of a valveless electromagnetic micropump using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) technique and open-source code OpenFOAM. The micropump consists of a vibrating diaphragm and fluidic microchannel connected to inlet and outlet tubes. The imbalance in fluid resistance of the fluidic microchannel during a vibration cycle of the diaphragm creates backpressure in the pump, which in turn produces a difference in water level between the inlet and outlet tubes. In this study, VOF was used in a transient simulation to obtain this difference in water level and then the backpressure. The obtained backpressure showed a slight discrepancy with the experimental data. The discrepancy was probably due to the difference in the wall surface quality of the fluidic microchannel between the simulation model and experimental device. These results are useful for analytical and numerical research on these types of micropumps and can easily be applied in an open-source code simulator with almost zero cost.

This paper presents a microfluidic pump operated by an asymmetrically deformed membrane, which was inspired by caterpillar locomotion. Almost all mechanical micropumps consist of two major components of fluid halting and fluid pushing parts, whereas the proposed caterpillar locomotion-inspired micropump has only a single, bilaterally symmetric membrane-like teardrop shape. A teardrop-shaped elastomeric membrane was asymmetrically deformed and then consecutively touched down to the bottom of the chamber in response to pneumatic pressure, thus achieving fluid pushing. Consecutive touchdown motions of the teardrop-shaped membrane mimicked the propagation of a caterpillar's hump during its locomotory gait. The initial touchdown motion of the teardrop-shaped membrane at the centroid worked as a valve that blocked the inlet channel, and then, the consecutive touchdown motions pushed fluid in the chamber toward the tail of the chamber connected to the outlet channel. The propagation of the touchdown motion of the teardrop-shaped membrane was investigated using computational analysis as well as experimental studies. This caterpillar locomotion-inspired micropump composed of only a single membrane can provide new opportunities for simple integration of microfluidic systems. PMID:24812661

We present an integrated thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based multilayer microfluidic device with an embedded peristaltic micropump and through-holes membrane for high throughput particle sorting and separation. Fluidic and pneumatic layers of the device were fabricated using hot-embossing lithography and commercially available polycarbonate membranes were succcessfully sandwiched between two thermoplastic elastomer fluidic layers integrated to a peristaltic micropumping layer. The integrated peristaltic micropump induces turbulence at the top-microfluidic layer ring which successfully avoids particle aggregation and membrane blocking even at nanorange size. We present herein the general design of the device structure and pumping characteristics for three devices with membrane pore sizes of 10 μm, 5 μm and 800 nm. By using this design we have successfully demonstrated a separation efficiency as high as 99% of polystyrene microbeads with different sizes and most importantly the separation of 390 nm particles from 2 μm beads was achieved. Using this device, we were also able to separate red blood cells with size of about 6-8 μm from osteoblasts typically larger than 10 μm to demonstrate the potential applicability of this platform for biological samples. The produced microfluidic chip operating at flow rates up to 100 μl min(-1) allows us to achieve efficient high-throughput sorting and separation of target particles/cells. PMID:23640083

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels have attracted considerable interest in the field of microfluidics due to their ability to transform electrical energy directly into mechanical work through swelling, bending, and other deformations. In particular, electroactive hydrogels hold great promise for biomedical micropumping applications such as implantable drug delivery systems. In such applications, energy consumption rate and durability are key properties. Here, we developed a valveless micropump system that utilizes a hydrogel as the main actuator, and tested its performance over 6 months of continuous operation. The proposed micropump system, powered by a single 1.5 V commercial battery, expended very little energy (less than 750 μWs per stroke) while pumping 0.9 wt% saline solution under a low voltage (less than 1 V), and remained fully functional after 6 months. CFD simulations were conducted to improve the microchannel geometry so as to minimize the backflow caused by the valveless mechanism of the system. Based on the simulation results, an asymmetric geometry and a stop post were introduced to enhance the pumping performance. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system as a drug delivery pump, an anti-cancer drug (adriamycin) was perfused to human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) using the pump. The present study showed that the proposed system can operate continuously for long periods with low energy consumption, powered by a single 1.5 V battery, making it a promising candidate for an implantable drug delivery system. PMID:21761057

The main aspects and results of some electrokinetic filtration tests are presented. Both theory and tests show the key role played by the electrochemical boundary phenomena, such as the electrode reactions, and by the mineralogy of the soil. The aforementioned results show the necessity to run long duration tests. Indeed the macroscopic properties of the soil can change widely during the tests, therefore affecting the expected results in terms of environmental remediation or consolidation but also in terms of energy consumption and efficiency. PMID:12489264

Microfluidic technology is playing an ever-expanding role in advanced chemical and biological devices, with diverse applications including medical diagnostics, high throughput research tools, chemical or biological detection, separations, and controlled particle fabrication. Even so, local (microscale) modification of solution properties within microchannels, such as pressure, solute concentration, and voltage remains a challenge, and improved spatiotemporal control would greatly enhance the capabilities of microfluidics. This thesis demonstrates and characterizes two microfluidic tools to enhance local solution control. I first describe a microfluidic pump that uses an electrokinetic effect, Induced-Charge Electroosmosis (ICEO), to generate pressure on-chip. In ICEO, steady flows are driven by AC fields along metal-electrolyte interfaces. I design and microfabricate a pump that exploits this effect to generate on-chip pressures. The ICEO pump is used to drive flow along a microchannel, and the pressure is measured as a function of voltage, frequency, and electrolyte composition. This is the first demonstration of chip-scale flows driven by ICEO, which opens the possibility for ICEO pumping in self-contained microfluidic devices. Next, I demonstrate a method to create thin local membranes between microchannels, which enables local diffusive delivery of solute. These ``Hydrogel Membrane Microwindows'' are made by photopolymerizing a hydrogel which serves as a local ``window'' for solute diffusion and electromigration between channels, but remains a barrier to flow. I demonstrate three novel experimental capabilities enabled by the hydrogel membranes: local concentration gradients, local electric currents, and rapid diffusive composition changes. I conclude by applying the hydrogel membranes to study solvophoresis, the migration of particles in solvent gradients. Solvent gradients are present in many chemical processes, but migration of particles within these

The diffusion and drift motion of λ DNA molecules on Au coated membrane surface near nanopores prior to their translocation through solid-state nanopores are investigated using fluorescence microscopy. With the capability of controlling electric potential at the Au surface as a gate voltage, Vgate, the motions of DNA molecules vary dramatically near the nanopores in our observations, presumably generated by electrokinetic flow. We carefully investigate theses DNA motions with different values of Vgate in order to alter the densities and polarities of counterions; which are expected to change the flow speed or direction, respectively. Depending on Vgate, our observations have revealed the critical distance from a nanopore for DNA molecules to be attracted or to be repelled, DNA’s anisotropic and unsteady drifting motions and accumulations of DNA molecules near the nanopore entrance. Further finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations indicate that the electrokinetic flow could explain these unusual DNA motions near metal collated gated nanopores qualitatively. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility to control the speed and direction of DNA motion near or through a nanopore, for example, recapturing a single DNA molecule multiple times with AC voltages on the Vgate. PMID:25611963

The dielectric and electrokinetic properties of aqueous suspensions of vesicles (unilamellar liposomes) are numerically calculated in the 1 Hz to 1 GHz frequency range using a network simulation method. The model consists of a conducting internal medium surrounded by an insulating membrane with fixed surface charges on both sides. Without an applied field, the internal medium is in electric equilibrium with the external one, so that it also bears a net volume charge. Therefore, in the presence of an applied ac field, there is fluid flow both in the internal and in the external media. The obtained results are qualitatively different from those corresponding to suspensions of charged homogeneous particles, mainly due to the existence of an additional length scale (the membrane thickness) and the corresponding dispersion mechanism, charging of the membrane. Because of this dispersion, the shapes of the spectra change with the size of the particles (at constant zeta potential and particle radius to Debye length ratio) instead of merely shifting along the frequency axis. A comparison between the numerical results and those obtained using approximate analytical expressions shows deviations that are, in general, sufficiently large enough to show the necessity to use numerical results in order to interpret broad frequency range dielectric and electrokinetic measurements of vesicle suspensions. PMID:16853323

Anti-Brownian electrokinetic traps have been used to trap and study the free-solution dynamics of large protein complexes and long chains of DNA. Small molecules in solution have thus far proved too mobile to trap by any means. Here we explore the ultimate limits on trapping single molecules. We developed a feedback-based anti-Brownian electrokinetic trap in which classical thermal noise is compensated to the maximal extent allowed by quantum measurement noise. We trapped single fluorophores with a molecular weight of

Clay minerals have long attracted the attention of colloid scientists. This paper considers, specifically, their important role in the transport of various contaminants from land to sea, e.g., metal ions and organic detrital and man-made material in watercourses. Advance in experimental techniques have enabled precise characterization of clays and then electrokinetic experiments at high electrolyte concentrations, such as in seawater. Three of the most important clay minerals encountered in suspended matter in natural waters, montmorillonite, illite, and chlorite, were prepared in a very pure state. Electrokinetic experiments were done in pure aqueous single and complex electrolyte solutions and in solutions in which natural organic matter was simulated using a humic substance, fulvic acid, of defined provenance and properties, typical of riverine waters. An isoelectric point was found at pH 5.0 {+-} 0.2 for chlorite; none were found for illite and montmorillonite. Only Ca{sup 2+} showed a charging effect on chlorite, indeed a reversal of sign from negative to positive at 1 {times} 10{sup {minus}3} mol dm{sup {minus}3}. Addition of fulvic acid affected only chlorite, illite less, and Na montmorillonite not at all.

Electrokinetic properties of α-Fe(2)O(3) (hematite) nanoparticle monolayers on mica were thoroughly characterized using the streaming potential method. Hematite suspensions were obtained by acidic hydrolysis of ferric chloride. The average size of particles (hydrodynamic diameter), determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and AFM, was 22 nm (pH=5.5, I=10(-2)M). The hematite monolayers on mica were produced under diffusion-controlled transport from the suspensions of various bulk concentration. The monolayer coverage, quantitatively determined by AFM and SEM, was regulated within broad limits by adjusting the nanoparticle deposition time. This allowed one to uniquely express zeta potential of hematite monolayers, determined by the streaming potential measurements, in terms of the particle coverage. Such dependencies, obtained for various pH, were successfully interpreted in terms of the three-dimensional electrokinetic model. A universal calibrating graph was produced enabling one to determine hematite monolayer coverage from the measured value of the streaming potential. The influence of the ionic strength, varied between 10(-4) and 10(-2)M, on the zeta potential of hematite monolayers was also studied. Additionally, the stability of monolayers (desorption kinetics) was determined under in situ conditions using the streaming potential method. Our experimental data prove that it is feasible to produce uniform and stable hematite particle monolayers of well-controlled coverage. Such monolayers may find practical applications as universal substrates for protein immobilization (biosensors) and in electrocatalytic applications. PMID:22921408

The use of a combination of electrokinetic remediation and phytoremediation to decontaminate soil polluted with heavy metals has been demonstrated in a laboratory-scale experiment. Potato tubers were planted in plastic vessels filled with Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd contaminated soil and grown in a greenhouse. Three of these vessels were treated with direct current electric field (DC), three with alternative current (AC) and three remained untreated as control vessels. The soil pH varied from anode to cathode with a minimum of pH 3 near the anode and a maximum of pH 8 near the cathode in the DC treated soil profile. There was an accumulation of Zn, Cu and Cd at about 12 cm distance from anode when soil pH was 5 in the DC treated soil profile. There was no significant metal redistribution and pH variation between anode and cathode in the AC soil profile. The biomass production of the plants was 72% higher under AC treatment and 27% lower under DC treatment compared to the control. Metal accumulation was generally higher in the plant roots treated with electrical fields than the control. The overall metal uptake in plant shoots was lower under DC treatment compared to AC treatment and control, although there was a higher accumulation of Zn and Cu in the plant roots treated with electrical fields. The Zn uptake in plant shoots under AC treatment was higher compared to the control and DC treatment. Zn and Cu accumulation in the plant roots under AC and DC treatment was similar, and both were higher comparing to control. Cd content in plant roots under all three treatments was found to be higher than that in the soil. The Pb accumulation in the roots and the uptake into the shoots was lower compared to its content in the soil. PMID:18569305

An electrokinetic decontamination process has been modeled to investigate the feasibility of using electrokinetic soil remediation technology to remove 137Cs and 90Sr from the soil. 100 V DC current is applied to a 3-meter-long soil column by electrodes connected to the soil. The prediction results have shown that the efficiency of the electrokinetic treatment depends on the sorption and diffusion parameters. High sorption and slow diffusion will demand long treatment time. If the soil to be treated has similar sorption and diffusion properties as bentonite, and when the soil is flushed with saline water that leads to less sorption, both 137Cs and 90Sr may be cleaned by the electrokinetic process within a few months.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has developed an in situ soil remediation system that uses electrokinetic principles to remediate hexavalent chromium-contaminated unsaturated or partially saturated soils. The technology involves the in situ application of direct current to the...

One of the major challenges in treatment of auditory disorders is that many therapeutic compounds are toxic when delivered systemically. Local intracochlear delivery methods are becoming critical in emerging treatments and in drug discovery. Direct infusion via cochleostomy, in particular, is attractive from a pharmacokinetics standpoint, as there is potential for the kinetics of delivery to be well-controlled. Direct infusion is compatible with a large number of drug types, including large, complex molecules such as proteins and unstable molecules such as siRNA. In addition, hair-cell regeneration therapy will likely require long-term delivery of a timed series of agents. This presents unknown risks associated with increasing the volume of fluid within the cochlea and mechanical damage caused during delivery. There are three key requirements for an intracochlear drug delivery system: (1) a high degree of miniaturization (2) a method for pumping precise and small volumes of fluid into the cochlea in a highly controlled manner, and (3) a method for removing excess fluid from the limited cochlear fluid space. To that end, our group is developing a head-mounted microfluidics-based system for long-term intracochlear drug delivery. We utilize guinea pig animal models for development and demonstration of the device. Central to the system is an infuse-withdraw micropump component that, unlike previous micropump-based systems, has fully integrated drug and fluid storage compartments. Here we characterize the infuse-withdraw capabilities of our micropump, and show experimental results that demonstrate direct drug infusion via cochleostomy in animal models. We utilized DNQX, a glutamate receptor antagonist that suppresses CAPs, as a test drug. We monitored the frequency-dependent changes in auditory nerve CAPs during drug infusion, and observed CAP suppression consistent with the expected drug transport path based on the geometry and tonotopic organization of the cochlea

We present two different designs of electrohydrodynamic micropumps for microfluidic systems. The micropumps have no movable parts, and their simple design allows for fabrication by microsystems technology. The pumps are operated by ac voltages from 1 to 60 V and were tested with aqueous solutions in the conductivity range of 1-112 mS m(-1). The pump effect is induced by an ac electric field across a fluid medium with an inhomogeneous temperature distribution. It is constant over a wide range of the ac field frequency with a conductivity-dependent drop-off at high frequencies. The temperature-dependent conductivity and permittivity distributions in the fluid induce space charges that interact with the electric field and induce fluid motion. The temperature distribution can be generated either by Joule heating in the medium or by external heating. We present experimental results obtained with two prototypes featuring Joule heating and external heating by a heating filament. Experimental and numerical results are compared with an analytical model. PMID:19391842

The electrokinetic potential results from the coupling between the water flow and the electrical current because of the presence of ions within water. This coupling is well described in fluid-saturated media, however its behavior under unsaturated flow conditions is still discussed. We propose here an experimental approach which can clearly describe streaming potential variations in unsaturated conditions. Several drainage experiments have been performed within a column filled with a clean sand. Streaming potential measurements are combined to capillary pressure and to water content measurements each 10 centimeter along the column. In order to model hydrodymanics during each experiment, we solve Richards equation in an inverse way which allows us to establish the relation between hydraulic conductivity and water content, and retention relation. The electrokinetic coefficient C shows a more complex behavior than it was previously reported and can not be fitted by the existing models. We show that the normalized electrokinetic coefficient increases first when water saturation decreases from 100% to about 80% - 95%, and then decreases as the water saturation decreases, whereas all previous works described a unifrom decrease of the normalized electrokinetic coefficient as water saturation decreases. We delimited two water saturation domains, and deduced two different empirical laws describing the evolution of the electrokinetic coefficient in unsaturated conditions. Finally, electrical potentials data from four different drainage experiments and hydrodynamics were jointly inversed, including electrical conductivity measurements in order to find a robust description of the electrokinetic coefficient behavior in unsaturated conditions.

The effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) during electrokinetic decontamination (EKD) was investigated in this research. EDTA is a ligand that can form soluble complexes with precipitated heavy metals inside soil pores. Millpond sludge, primarily contaminated with lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), was subjected to EKD with and without the presence of EDTA. Dilute EDTA solutions with strengths of 0.05 M and 0.125 M were injected into the millpond sludge by electroosmosis. Several beneficial effects of using EDTA were observed in this research. One was that the presence of EDTA substantially increased the electroosmotic (EO) flow in the millpond sludge indicating that it could significantly reduce the duration of EKD. Another advantage was that a significantly higher percentage of Pb and Zn removal was achieved from the solid phase due to the complexation of EDTA with these heavy metals. Also, EDTA was able to prevent the precipitation of metals at the cathode electrode, typically observed in EKD process. PMID:23393970

Controlled electrokinetic transport of constituents of liquid media can be achieved by connecting at least two volumes containing liquid media with at least one dielectric medium with opposing dielectric surfaces in direct contact with said liquid media, and establishing at least one conduit across said dielectric medium, with a conduit inner surface surrounding a conduit volume and at least a first opening and a second opening opposite to the first opening. The conduit is arranged to connect two volumes containing liquid media and includes a set of at least three electrodes positioned in proximity of the inner conduit surface. A power supply is arranged to deliver energy to the electrodes such that time-varying potentials inside the conduit volume are established, where the superposition of said potentials represents at least one controllable traveling potential well that can travel between the opposing conduit openings.

This article presents a summary of theory, experimental studies, and results for the electrokinetic transport in small fluidic nanochannels. The main focus is on the effect of the electric double layer on the EOF, electric current, and electrophoresis of charged analytes. The double layer thickness can be of the same order as the width of the nanochannels, which has an impact on the transport by shaping the fluid velocity profile, local distributions of the electrolytes, and charged analytes. Our theoretical consideration is limited to continuum analysis where the equations of classical hydrodynamics and electrodynamics still apply. We show that small channels may lead to qualitatively new effects like selective ionic transport based on charge number as well as different modes for molecular separation. These new possibilities together with the rapid development of nanofabrication capabilities lead to an extensive experimental effort to utilize nanochannels for a variety of applications, which are also discussed and analyzed in this review. PMID:17304495

Significant challenges remain in the remediation of low-permeability porous media (e.g. clays, silts) contaminated with dissolved and sorbed organic contaminants. Current remediation technologies, such as in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), are often ineffective and the treatment region is limited by very slow rates of groundwater flow (advection) or molecular diffusion. At the laboratory-scale several studies (e.g. Reynolds et al. 2008) have highlighted the potential for utilising electrokinetic transport, as induced by the application of an electric field, to deliver a remediation compound (e.g. permanganate, persulfate) within heterogeneous and low-permeability sediments for ISCO (termed EK-ISCO) or other treatments. Process-based numerical modelling of the coupled flow, transport and reaction processes can provide important insights into the prevailing controls and feedback mechanisms and therefore guide the optimisation of EK-ISCO remediation efficacy. In this study, a numerical model was developed that simulates groundwater flow and multi-species reactive transport under both hydraulic and electric gradients (Wu et al. 2010). Coupled into the existing, previously verified reactive transport model PHT3D (Prommer et al. 2003), the model was verified against analytical solutions and data from experimental studies. Using the newly developed model, the sensitivity of electrokinetic, hydraulic and engineering parameters as well as alternative configurations of the EK-ISCO treatment process were investigated. The duration and energy required for remediation was most dependent upon the applied voltage gradient and the natural oxidant demand and all investigated parameters affected the remediation process to some extent. Investigated variants of treatment configurations included several alternative locations for oxidant injection and a series of one-dimensional and two-dimensional electrode configurations.

Study of micro-pumps has been actively pursued as they may be integrated into portable fluidic systems. Since one major application of developing portable fluidic devices is in medical drug delivery systems, the study of valveless micro-peristaltic pumps has attracted many researchers, particularly due to its low contamination risk of the working fluid. However, conventional peristaltic micro-pumps involve complex fabrication steps, including alignment of multiple device layers. The purpose of this research is to design a low cost, single layer peristaltic pump which utilizes thermal expansion of gas bubbles trapped in the microchannel walls. The microchannel walls are corrugated with a high roughness factor to prevent water from protruding into the gaps, thus rendering the surface superhydrophobic. The gas pockets are heated from the side walls, where the microheaters are fabricated by flowing molten metal into satellite microchannels and then solidifying them. We expect that the expanding gas pockets will act as a series of valves and that the fluid flow can be generated by sequentially heating the gas pockets along the microchannel.

An electroactive polymer (EAP), high energy electron irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDFTrFE)] copolymer, based actuation micropump diaphragm (PAMPD) have been developed for air flow control. The displacement strokes and profiles as a function of amplifier and frequency of electric field have been characterized. The volume stroke rates (volume rate) as function of electric field, driving frequency have been theoretically evaluated, too. The PAMPD exhibits high volume rate. It is easily tuned with varying of either amplitude or frequency of the applied electric field. In addition, the performance of the diaphragms were modeled and the agreement between the modeling results and experimental data confirms that the response of the diaphragms follow the design parameters. The results demonstrated that the diaphragm can fit some future aerospace applications to replace the traditional complex mechanical systems, increase the control capability and reduce the weight of the future air dynamic control systems. KEYWORDS: Electroactive polymer (EAP), micropump, diaphragm, actuation, displacement, volume rate, pumping speed, clamping ratio.

Responsive polymers are low-cost, light weight and flexible, and thus an attractive class of materials for the integration into micromechanical and lab-on-chip systems. Triggered by external stimuli, liquid crystalline elastomers are able to perform mechanical motion and can be utilized as microactuators. Here we present the fabrication of one-piece micropumps from liquid crystalline core-shell elastomer particles via a microfluidic double-emulsion process, the continuous nature of which enables a low-cost and rapid production. The liquid crystalline elastomer shell contains a liquid core, which is reversibly pumped into and out of the particle by actuation of the liquid crystalline shell in a jellyfish-like motion. The liquid crystalline elastomer shells have the potential to be integrated into a microfluidic system as micropumps that do not require additional components, except passive channel connectors and a trigger for actuation. This renders elaborate and high-cost micromachining techniques, which are otherwise required for obtaining microstructures with pump function, unnecessary.

A novel procedure has been developed for spectrophotometric determination of anionic surfactants in water using a solenoid micro-pump as fluid-propulsion device. The proposed method is based on substitution of methyl orange (MO) by anionic surfactants in the formation of an ion-pair with the cetyl pyridine ion (CPC+) at pH 5.0. The flow network comprised four solenoid micro-pumps which, under microcomputer control, enabled sample and reagent introduction, and homogenisation in the reaction zone. The system is flexible and simple to operate and control, and sensitive and precise. The analytical plot for the anionic surfactant was linear between 1.43x10(-6) and 1.43x10(-5) mol L(-1) (0.5 to 5.0 mg L(-1); R=0.997, n=5). The relative standard deviation was 0.8% (n=11) for a sample containing 5.74x10(-6) mol L(-1) (2 mg L(-1)) surfactant. The limit of detection was 9.76x10(-8) mol L(-1) (0.034 mg L(-1)) and the sampling throughput was 60 determinations per hour. The results obtained for washing-water samples were comparable with those obtained by use of the reference method, and no significant differences at the 95% confidence level were observed. PMID:15761737

A comprehensive non-isothermal Lattice Boltzmann (LB) algorithm is proposed in this article to simulate the thermofluidic transport phenomena encountered in a direct-current (DC) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump. Inside the pump, an electrically conducting fluid is transported through the microchannel by the action of an electromagnetic Lorentz force evolved out as a consequence of the interaction between applied electric and magnetic fields. The fluid flow and thermal characteristics of the MHD micropump depend on several factors such as the channel geometry, electromagnetic field strength and electrical property of the conducting fluid. An involved analysis is carried out following the LB technique to understand the significant influences of the aforementioned controlling parameters on the overall transport phenomena. In the LB framework, the hydrodynamics is simulated by a distribution function, which obeys a single scalar kinetic equation associated with an externally imposed electromagnetic force field. The thermal history is monitored by a separate temperature distribution function through another scalar kinetic equation incorporating the Joule heating effect. Agreement with analytical, experimental and other available numerical results is found to be quantitative. PMID:21053082

This paper presents lumped-parameter simulation of dynamic characteristics of peristaltic micropumps. The pump consists of three pumping cells connected in series, each of which is equipped with a compliant diaphragm that is electrostatically actuated in a peristaltic sequence to mobilize the fluid. Diaphragm motion in each pumping cell is first represented by an effective spring subjected to hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces. These cell representations are then used to construct a system-level model for the entire pump, which accounts for both cell- and pump-level interactions of fluid flow and diaphragm vibration. As the model is based on first principles, it can be evaluated directly from the device's geometry, material properties and operating parameters without using any experimentally identified parameters. Applied to an existing pump, the model correctly predicts trends observed in experiments. The model is then used to perform a systematic analysis of the impact of geometry, materials and pump loading on device performance, demonstrating its utility as an efficient tool for peristaltic micropump design.

One challenge of generating a liquid aerosol is finding an efficient way to break up bulk amounts of the compound into micron-sized droplets. Traditional methods of aerosol generation focus on the principle of creating the liquid droplets by blowing air at high speed over or through a liquid. In this study, a novel micropump droplet generator (MDG) is proposed based on a microfluidics device to produce monodisperse droplets on demand (DoD). The micropump design was employed to both pump the fluid into the air and to encourage droplet breakup and aerosol formation. Computational simulation modeling of the new MDG was developed and validated with comparisons to experimental data for current generators. The device was found to produce an aerosol similar to a vibrating orifice DoD device. Most importantly, the input power required by the newly proposed device (MDG) was several orders of magnitude below existing DoD generators for a similar droplet output. Based on the simulation results obtained in comparison with current DoD generators, the MDG device performed effectively at higher frequencies, smaller nozzle diameters, and regardless of the liquid viscosity of the solution. PMID:21151580

A theoretical analysis considering the capabilities of nano electrokinetic thrusters for space propulsion is presented. The work describes an electro-hydro-dynamic model of the electrokinetic flow in nano-channels and represents the first attempt to exploit the advantages of the electrokinetic effect as the basis for a new class of nano-scale thrusters suitable for space propulsion. Among such advantages are their small volume, fundamental simplicity, overall low mass, and actuation efficiency. Their electrokinetic efficiency is affected by the slip length, surface charge, pH and molarity. These design variables are analyzed and optimized for the highest electrokinetic performance inside nano-channels. The optimization is done for power consumption, thrust and specific impulse resulting in high theoretical efficiency ˜99% with corresponding high thrust-to-power ratios. Performance curves are obtained for the electrokinetic design variables showing that high molarity electrolytes lead to high thrust and specific impulse values, whereas low molarities provide highest thrust-to-power ratios and efficiencies. A theoretically designed 100 nm wide by 1 μm long emitter optimized using the ideal performance charts developed would deliver thrusts from 5 to 43 μN, specific impulse from 60 to 210 s, and would have power consumption between 1-15 mW. It should be noted that although this is a detail analytical analysis no prototypes exist and any future experimental work will face challenges that could affect the final performance. By designing an array composed of thousands of these single electrokinetic emitters, it would result in a flexible and scalable propulsion system capable of providing a wide range of thrust control for different mission scenarios and maintaining very high efficiencies and thrust-to-power ratio by varying the number of emitters in use at any one time.

Heavy-metal contaminated soils are a common problem at Department of Energy (DOE)-operated sites and privately owned facilities throughout the nation. One emerging technology which can remove heavy metals from soil in situ is electrokinetics. To conduct electrokinetic (EK) remediation, electrodes are implanted into the ground, and a direct current is imposed between the electrodes. Metal ions dissolved in the soil pore water migrate towards an electrode where they can be removed. The electrokinetic program at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has been focusing on electrokinetic remediation for unsaturated soils. A patent was awarded for an electrokinetic electrode system designed at SNL for applications to unsaturated soils. Current research described in this report details an electrokinetic remediation field demonstration of a chromium plume that resides in unsaturated soil beneath the SNL Chemical Waste Landfill (CWL). This report describes the processes, site investigation, operation and monitoring equipment, testing procedures, and extraction results of the electrokinetic demonstration. This demonstration successfully removed chromium contamination in the form of chromium(VI) from unsaturated soil at the field scale. After 2700 hours of operation, 600 grams of Cr(VI) was extracted from the soil beneath the SNL CWL in a series of thirteen tests. The contaminant was removed from soil which has moisture contents ranging from 2 to 12 weight percent. This demonstration was the first EK field trial to successfully remove contaminant ions from and soil at the field scale. Although the new patented electrode system was successful in removing an anionic contaminant (i.e., chromate) from unsaturated sandy soil, the electrode system was a prototype and has not been specifically engineered for commercialization. A redesign of the electrode system as indicated by the results of this research is suggested for future EK field trials.

Electrokinetic flow plays an important role in remediation process, separation technique, and chromatography. The solute dispersion is a key parameter to determine transport efficiency. In this study, we present the electrokinetic effects on solute dispersion in porous media at the pore scale, using a pore network model. The analytical solution of the electrokinetic coupling coefficient was obtained to quantity the fluid flow velocity in a cylinder capillary. The effect of electrical double layer on the electrokinetic coupling coefficient was investigated by applying different ionic concentration. By averaging the velocity over cross section within a single pore, the average flux was obtained. Applying such single pore relationships, in the thin electrical double layer limit, to each and every pore within the pore network, potential distribution and the induced fluid flow was calculated for the whole domain. The resulting pore velocities were used to simulate solute transport within the pore network. By averaging the results, we obtained the breakthrough curve (BTC) of the average concentration at the outlet of the pore network. Optimizing the solution of continuum scale advection-dispersion equation to such a BTC, solute dispersion coefficient was estimated. We have compared the dispersion caused by electrokinetic flow and pure pressure driven flow under different Peclet number values. In addition, the effect of microstructure and topological properties of porous media on fluid flow and solute dispersion is presented, mainly based on different pore coordination numbers.

Electrokinetic transport phenomena can strongly influence the behaviour of macromolecules and colloidal particles in solution, with applications in, e.g., DNA translocation through nanopores, electro-osmotic flow in nanocapillaries, and electrophoresis of charged macromolecules. Numerical simulations are an important tool to investigate these electrokinetic phenomena, but are often plagued by spurious fluxes and spurious flows that can easily exceed physical fluxes and flows. Here, we present a method that reduces one of these spurious currents, spurious flow, by several orders of magnitude. We demonstrate the effectiveness and generality of our method for both the electrokinetic lattice-Boltzmann and finite-element-method based algorithms by simulating a charged sphere in an electrolyte solution and flow through a nanopore. We also show that previous attempts to suppress these spurious currents introduce other sources of error.

A method for eliminating gas bubble blockage of current flow during operation of an electrokinetic pump. By making use of the ability to modify the surface charge on the porous dielectric medium used in electrokinetic pumps, it becomes possible to place electrodes away from the pressurized region of the electrokinetic pump. While gas is still generated at the electrodes they are situated such that the generated gas can escape into a larger buffer reservoir and not into the high pressure region of the pump where the gas bubbles can interrupt current flow. Various combinations of porous dielectric materials and ionic conductors can be used to create pumps that have desirable electrical, material handling, and flow attributes.

An electrokinetic approach is being evaluated for in situ soil remediation at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. This approach uses an applied electric field to induce transport of both radioactive and hazardous waste ions in soil. The work discussed in this paper involves the development of a new method to monitor the movement of the radioactive ions within the soil during the electrokinetic process. A closed cell and a gamma counter were used to provide iii situ measurements of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}Co movement in Hanford soil. Preliminary results show that for an applied potential of 200 V over approximately 200 hr, {sup 137}Cs and {sup 60}60 were transported a distance of 4 to 5 in. The monitoring technique demonstrated the feasibility of using electrokinetics for soil separation applications.

Microbial biofilms can cause severe problems in technical installations where they may give rise to microbially influenced corrosion and clogging of filters and membranes or even threaten human health, e.g. when they infest water treatment processes. There is, hence, high interest in methods to prevent microbial adhesion as the initial step of biofilm formation. In environmental technology it might be desired to enhance bacterial transport through porous matrices. This motivated us to test the hypothesis that the attractive interaction energy allowing cells to adhere can be counteracted and overcome by the shear force induced by electroosmotic flow (EOF, i.e. the water flow over surfaces exposed to a weak direct current (DC) electric field). Applying EOF of varying strengths we quantified the deposition of Pseudomonas fluorescens Lp6a in columns containing glass collectors and on a quartz crystal microbalance. We found that the presence of DC reduced the efficiency of initial adhesion and bacterial surface coverage by >85%. A model is presented which quantitatively explains the reduction of bacterial adhesion based on the extended Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (XDLVO) theory of colloid stability and the EOF-induced shear forces acting on a bacterium. We propose that DC fields may be used to electrokinetically regulate the interaction of bacteria with surfaces in order to delay initial adhesion and biofilm formation in technical installations or to enhance bacterial transport in environmental matrices. PMID:25844535

Direct current electrokinetic systems generally require Faradaic reactions to occur at a pair of electrodes to maintain an electric field in an electrolyte connecting them. The vast majority of such systems, e.g. electrophoretic separations (capillary electrophoresis) or electroosmotic pumps (EOPs), employ electrolysis of the solvent in these reactions. In many cases, the electrolytic products, such as H+ and OH⁻ in the case of water, can negatively influence the chemical or biological species being transported or separated, and gaseous products such as O₂ and H₂ can break the electrochemical circuit in microfluidic devices. This article presents an EOP that employs the oxidation/reduction of the conjugated polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), rather than electrolysis of a solvent, to drive flow in a capillary. Devices made with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodes are compared with devices made with Pt electrodes in terms of flow and local pH change at the electrodes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that flow is driven for applied potentials under 2 V, and the electrodes are stable for potentials of at least 100 V. Electrochemically active electrodes like those presented here minimize the disadvantage of integrated EOP in, e.g. lab-on-a-chip applications, and may open new possibilities, especially for battery-powered disposable point-of-care devices. PMID:21425174

We examine the influence of the applied frequency of the electric field on the induced-charge electroosmotic flow around a metallo-dielectric Janus particle. Previously, we have used three dimensional-two component micro-particle-image-velocimetry (3D-2C μ PIV) around a stagnant particle, to illustrate the presence of a number of competing effects including dielectrophoresis and electrohydrodynamic flow which distort both the strength and shape of the frequency dispersion predicted for pure induced-charge effects. Here, we extend this work by examining the frequency dispersion of mobile Janus particles of different sizes (3 - 15 μm in diameter) at different electrolyte concentrations. In all cases, towards the DC limit, and in the frequency domain where previously EHD flow was shown to dominate, the velocity of a mobile particle decays to zero. At the same time significant variations in the frequency dispersion, including its shape and the value for maximum velocity are recorded as a function of both electrolyte concentration and particle size. This work is of both fundamental and practical importance and may be used to further refine non-linear electrokinetic theory and optimize the application of Janus particles as carriers in lab-on-a-chip analysis systems.

Magnetic shape memory (MSM) Ni-Mn-Ga elements are relatively new materials with a variety of remarkable properties. They respond to changes in magnetic fields by elongating and shortening up to 6%. We have constructed a micropump which consists principally of a single component, the MSM element. The pump can be driven by the rotation of a diametrically magnetized cylindrical magnet or by an electrical rotation of the magnetic field; it is reversible, and can be effectively operated by hand without any electrical power. The MSM element does not inhibit the polymerase chain reaction. We demonstrate that it is compatible with forensic applications and show that it does not inhibit human DNA profiling. This novel pump is suitable for lab-on-a-chip applications that require microfluidics.

Catalytic engines can use hydrogen peroxide as a chemical fuel in order to drive motion at the microscale. The chemo-mechanical actuation is a complex mechanism based on the interrelation between catalytic reactions and electro-hydrodynamics phenomena. We studied catalytic micropumps using fluorescence confocal microscopy to image the concentration of protons in the liquid. In addition, we measured the motion of particles with different charges in order to map the spatial distributions of the electric field, the electrostatic potential and the fluid flow. The combination of these two techniques allows us to contrast the gradient of the concentration of protons against the spatial variation in the electric field. We present numerical simulations that reproduce the experimental results. Our work sheds light on the interrelation between the different processes at work in the chemomechanical actuation of catalytic pumps. Our experimental approach could be used to study other electrochemical systems with heterogeneous electrodes. PMID:24182306

This paper presents a centrifugal force based magnetic micro-pump for the pumping of blood. Most blood pumps are driven by an electrical motor with wired control. To develop a wireless and battery-free blood pump, the proposed pump is controlled by external rotating magnetic fields with a synchronized impeller. Synchronization occurs because the rotor is divided into multi-stage impeller parts and NdFeB permanent magnet. Finally, liquid is discharged by the centrifugal force of multi-stage impeller. The proposed pump length is 30 mm long and19 mm in diameter which much smaller than currently pumps; however, its pumping ability satisfies the requirement for a blood pump. The maximum pressure is 120 mmHg and the maximum flow rate is 5000ml/min at 100 Hz. The advantage of the proposed pump is that the general mechanical problems of a normal blood pump are eliminated by the proposed driving mechanism.

Catalytic engines can use hydrogen peroxide as a chemical fuel in order to drive motion at the microscale. The chemo-mechanical actuation is a complex mechanism based on the interrelation between catalytic reactions and electro-hydrodynamics phenomena. We studied catalytic micropumps using fluorescence confocal microscopy to image the concentration of protons in the liquid. In addition, we measured the motion of particles with different charges in order to map the spatial distributions of the electric field, the electrostatic potential and the fluid flow. The combination of these two techniques allows us to contrast the gradient of the concentration of protons against the spatial variation in the electric field. We present numerical simulations that reproduce the experimental results. Our work sheds light on the interrelation between the different processes at work in the chemomechanical actuation of catalytic pumps. Our experimental approach could be used to study other electrochemical systems with heterogeneous electrodes.

We report on the fabrication and characterization of electrostatic gas micro-pumps integrated with polyimide check valves. Touch-mode capacitance actuation, enabled by a fixed silicon electrode and a metal/polyimide diaphragm, creates the suction and push-out of the ambient gas; the gas flow is rectified by the check valves located at the inlet and outlet of the pump. The fabricated pumps were tested with various actuation voltages at different frequencies and duty cycles; an emphasis was placed on investigating the effect of valve flow conductance on the gas pumping characteristics. The pump with higher valve conductance could increase the operating frequency of the pump and affect the pumping characteristics from a pulsating flow to a continuous flow, leading to a higher gas flow rate. This electrostatic pump has a flow control resolution of 1 µL min-1 it could generate a gas flow up to 106 µL min-1.

We report on the preconcentration-enhanced fast collection of myoglobin protein for the rapid detection of myocardial infarction. We use a one-dimensional micro/nanofluidic chip for electrokinetic preconcentration and demonstrate that the preconcentration factor of 1 ng/ml Alexa Fluor 488-labeled myoglobin is ˜1000 within 200 s, where the protein had a weak negative charge, thereby making it hard to perform electrokinetic trapping for neutral-like proteins. The potential feasibility with new assay strategies for use in a rapid immunoassay screening test for myocardial infarction is discussed.

Purpose To demonstrate the safety and surgical feasibility of the first-in-man ocular implant of a novel Posterior MicroPump Drug Delivery System (PMP) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and to report on the device capabilities for delivering a programmable microdose. Methods This was a single center, single arm, open-label, prospective study. Eleven patients with DME and visual acuity equal to or worse than 20/40 were included. The PMP prefilled with ranibizumab was implanted into the subconjunctival space. After implantation, the PMP was wirelessly controlled to deliver a programmed microdose. Comprehensive ophthalmic exams and optical coherence tomography were performed biweekly for 90 days. At the end of the study, the PMP was explanted and the subjects thereafter received standard of care for DME (i.e., laser or intravitreal injections). Results All 11 surgical implantations were without complications and within the skill sets of a retinal surgeon. No serious adverse events occurred during the follow-up period. At no point were visual acuity and central foveal thickness worse than baseline in the implanted eye. The PMP delivered the programmed ranibizumab dosage in seven subjects. The remaining four patients received a lower than target dose, and the treatment was complemented with standard intravitreal injection. Conclusions This study demonstrates the first-in-man safety of the Replenish MicroPump implant for a period of 90 days and its capability to deliver a microdose into the vitreous cavity. Further studies to enable longer-term safety and to demonstrate the feasibility of multiple programmable drug delivery are necessary. PMID:25653883

We have developed a highly efficient, bubble-free autonomous nanomotor based on a nanobattery. Bimetallic silver-platinum nanorods are powered by self-electrophoresis and show speeds much higher than those of other electrophoretic motors at similar fuel concentrations. The fuel (I2) can be regenerated by exposure to ambient light, leading to renewed motion of the motor. This versatile system can also be made into a micropump that transports fluid and particles. PMID:27337112

Purpose To determine the feasibility of the surgical procedure and to collect some safety data regarding the bioelectronics of a novel micro drug pump for intravitreal drug delivery in a Beagle dog model for up to 1 year. Methods Thirteen Beagle dogs were assigned to two groups. The experimental group (n = 11) underwent pars plana implantation of MicroPump; the body of which was sutured episclerally, while its catheter was secured at a pars plana sclerotomy. The control group (n = 2) underwent sham surgeries in the form of a temporary suturing of the MicroPump, including placement of the pars plana tube. Baseline and follow-up exams included ophthalmic examination and imaging. The experimental animals were euthanized and explanted at predetermined time points after surgery (1, 3, and 12 months), while the control animals were euthanized at 3 months. All operated eyes were submitted for histopathology. Results Eyes were scored according to a modified McDonald-Shadduck system and ophthalmic imaging. Neither the implanted eyes nor the control eyes showed clinically significant pathological changes beyond the expected surgical changes. The operated eyes showed neither significant inflammatory reaction nor tissue ingrowth through the sclerotomy site compared with the fellow eyes. Conclusion This study shows that the Replenish Posterior MicroPump could be successfully implanted with good safety profile in this animal model. Translational Relevance The results of this study in a Beagle dog model are supportive of the biocompatibility of Replenish MicroPump and pave the way to the use of these devices for ocular automated drug delivery after further testing in larger animal models. PMID:25774328

To meet a growing need in biological and medical applications, innovative micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technologies have realized important progress on the micropump as one of the essential fluid handling devices to deliver and control precise amounts of fluid flowing along a specific direction. This research proposes a piezoelectric (PZT) valveless micropump adopting an integrated diffuser/nozzle bulge-piece design. The pump mainly consisted of a stainless-steel structured chamber with dimensions of 8 mm in diameter and 70 μm in depth to enhance its long-term reliability, low-cost production, and maximized liquid compatibility. A PZT diaphragm was also used as a driving source to propel the liquid stream under actuation. As commonly used indices to describe pump operation, the delivered volumetric flow rates and pressures were determined at bulge-piece diameters of 2, 4 and 6 mm, with a driving voltage of 160 Vpp and frequency ranging from 50 to 550 Hz. Measurements and simulations have successfully shown that this micropump is capable of operating at a greater volumetric flow rate of up to 1.2 ml min-1 with a maximum back pressure of 5.3 kPa. In addition, the time-recurring flow behavior in the chamber and its relationship to the pumping performance were examined in detail.

In this study, for the first time, a hybrid continuum-atomistic based model is proposed for electrokinetics, electroosmosis and electrophoresis, through nanochannels. Although continuum based methods are accurate enough to model fluid flow and electric potential in nanofluidics (in dimensions larger than 4 nm), ionic concentration is too low in nanochannels for the continuum assumption to be valid. On the other hand, the non-continuum based approaches are too time-consuming and therefore is limited to simple geometries, in practice. Here, to propose an efficient hybrid continuum-atomistic method of modelling the electrokinetics in nanochannels; the fluid flow and electric potential are computed based on continuum hypothesis coupled with an atomistic Lagrangian approach for the ionic transport. The results of the model are compared to and validated by the results of the molecular dynamics technique for a couple of case studies. Then, the influences of bulk ionic concentration, external electric field, size of nanochannel, and surface electric charge on the electrokinetic flow and ionic mass transfer are investigated, carefully. The hybrid continuum-atomistic method is a promising approach to model more complicated geometries and investigate more details of the electrokinetics in nanofluidics. PMID:27155300

The electrokinetic process is an emerging technology for in-situ soil decontamination, in which chemical species, both ionic and nonionic are transported to an electrode site in soil. These products are subsequently removed from the ground via collection systems engineered for each specific application. Electrokinetics refer to movement of water, ions and charged particles relative to one another under the action of an applied direct current electric field. In a porous compact matrix of surface charged particles such as soil, the ion containing pore fluid may be made to flow to collection sites under the applied field. This report describes the effort undertaken to investigate electrokinetically enhanced transport of soil contaminants in synthetic systems. These systems consisted of clay or clay-sand mixtures containing known concentration of a selected heavy metal salt solution or an organic compound. Metals, surrogate radio nuclides and organic compounds evaluated in the program were representatives of those found at a majority of DOE sites. Degree of removal of these metals from soil by the electrokinetic treatment process was assessed through the metal concentration profiles generated across the soil between the electrodes. The best removals, from about 85 to 95% were achieved at the anode side of the soil specimens. Transient pH change had an effect on the metal movement via transient creation of different metal species with different ionic mobilities, as well as changing of the surface characteristics of the soil medium.

The combination of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with mass spectrometry (MS) is very attractive for the direct identification of analyte molecules, for the possibility of selectivity enhancement, and for the structure confirmation and analysis in a MS-MS mode. The...

Lubricin is a glycoprotein found in articular joints which has long been recognized as being an important biological boundary lubricant molecule and, more recently, an impressive antiadhesive that readily self-assembles into a well ordered, polymer brush layer on virtually any substrate. The lubricin molecule possesses an overabundance of anionic charge, a property that is atypical among antiadhesive molecules, that enables its use as a coating for applications involving electrokinetic processes such as electrophoresis and electroosmosis. Coating the surfaces of silica and polymeric microfluidic devices with self-assembled lubricin coatings affords a unique combination of excellent fouling resistance and high charge density that enables notoriously "sticky" biomolecules such as proteins to be used and controlled electrokinetically in the device without complications arising from nonspecific adsorption. Using capillary electrophoresis, we characterized the stability, uniformity, and electrokinetic properties of lubricin coatings applied to silica and PTFE capillaries over a range of run buffer pHs and when exposed to concentrated solutions of protein. In addition, we demonstrate the effectiveness of lubricin as a coating to minimize nonspecific protein adsorption in an electrokinetically controlled polydimethylsiloxane/silica microfluidic device. PMID:26814794

As a part of the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluated the In-Situ Electrokinetic Extraction (ISEE) system at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A one-dimensional model is developed for the electrokinetic treatment of aquifers contaminated with an ionic salt. Electrokinetic removal of amphoteric metals such as zinc and lead is simulated. The use of a weak acid (acetic acid) to neutralize a portion of the OH{sup {minus}} generated electrolytically in the cathode compartment is explored in connection with the electrokinetic removal of nonamphoteric metals such as copper and cadmium.

This paper presents the dry actuation testing procedures and results for novel viscous drag micropumping systems. To overcome the limitations of previously developed mechanical pumps, we have developed pumps that are surface micromachined for efficient mass production which utilize viscous drag (dominant at low Reynolds numbers typical of microfluidics) to move fluid. The SUMMiT (www.sandia.gov/micromachine) fabricated pumps, presented first by Kilani et al., are being experimentally and computationally analyzed. In this paper we will describe the development of optimal waveforms to drive the electrostatic pumping mechanism while dry. While wet actuation will be significantly different, dry testing provides insight into how to optimally move the mechanism and differences between dry and wet actuation can be used to isolate fluid effects. Characterization began with an analysis of the driving voltage waveforms for the torsional ratcheting actuator (TRA), a micro-motor that drove the gear transmission for the pump, actuated with SAMA (Sandia"s Arbitrary waveform MEMS Actuator), a new waveform generating computer program with the ability to generate and output arbitrary voltage signals. Based upon previous research, a 50% duty cycle half-sine wave was initially selected for actuation of the TRA. However, due to the geometry of the half-sine waveform, the loaded micromotor could not transmit the motion required to pump the tested liquids. Six waveforms were then conceived, constructed, and selected for device actuation testing. Dry actuation tests included high voltage, low voltage, high frequency, and endurance/reliability testing of the TRA, gear transmission and pump assembly. In the SUMMiT process, all of the components of the system are fabricated together on one silicon chip already assembled in a monolithic microfabrication process. A 40% duty cycle quarter-sine waveform with a 20% DC at 60V has currently proved to be the most reliable, allowing for an 825Hz

This paper presents the dry actuation testing procedures and results for novel viscous drag micropumping systems. To overcome the limitations of previously developed mechanical pumps, we have developed pumps that are surface micromachined for efficient mass production which utilize viscous drag (dominant at low Reynolds numbers typical of microfluidics) to move fluid. The SUMMiT (www.sandia.gov/micromachine) fabricated pumps, presented first by Kilani et al., are being experimentally and computationally analyzed. In this paper we will describe the development of optimal waveforms to drive the electrostatic pumping mechanism while dry. While wet actuation will be significantly different, dry testing provides insight into how to optimally move the mechanism and differences between dry and wet actuation can be used to isolate fluid effects. Characterization began with an analysis of the driving voltage waveforms for the torsional ratcheting actuator (TRA), a micro-motor that drove the gear transmission for the pump, actuated with SAMA (Sandia"s Arbitrary waveform MEMS Actuator), a new waveform generating computer program with the ability to generate and output arbitrary voltage signals. Based upon previous research, a 50% duty cycle half-sine wave was initially selected for actuation of the TRA. However, due to the geometry of the half-sine waveform, the loaded micromotor could not transmit the motion required to pump the tested liquids. Six waveforms were then conceived, constructed, and selected for device actuation testing. Dry actuation tests included high voltage, low voltage, high frequency, and endurance/reliability testing of the TRA, gear transmission and pump assembly. In the SUMMiT process, all of the components of the system are fabricated together on one silicon chip already assembled in a monolithic microfabrication process. A 40% duty cycle quarter-sine waveform with a 20% DC at 60V has currently proved to be the most reliable, allowing for an 825Hz

The development or implementation of electrokinetic soil remediation technique requires a good knowledge of how the contaminants are retained within the soil-water system. This paper investigates the speciation and extent of migration of the heavy metals, Cr(VI), Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II), during electrokinetic soil remediation. A geochemical assessment of how the contaminants are held within the kaolin soil under induced electric potential is made by using the equilibrium model MINEQL+. The study is performed for three different contaminant cases: the Cr(VI) existing alone in the soil, the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil, and the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil in the presence of a reducing agent (sulfide). The adsorption of the studied metals by kaolin was implemented as an electrostatic behavior. FITEQL 4.0 model was used to determine the equilibrium constants of the electrostatic adsorption model of kaolin for the studied metals by optimizing the experimental titration and adsorption data of kaolin. This study showed that the initial speciation of the contaminants in the soil prior to the electrokinetic treatment depends on the type and amounts of contaminants present as well as on the presence of the co-contaminants or any reducing agent. Moreover, the extent of migration of the contaminants is strongly dependent on their initial speciation prior electrokinetic treatment. This study also showed that adsorption and precipitation are the significant hindering mechanisms for the removal of heavy metals from kaolin soil during electrokinetic treatment. The adsorption and precipitation forms of Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II) increased near the cathode and decreased near the anode, whereas the adsorption form of Cr(VI) increased near the anode as well as in the middle region. However, the precipitation form of Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II) as Cr2O3 or Cr(OH)3, Ni(OH)2, and Cd(OH)2, respectively, dominates over their adsorption form

We present the first implantable drug delivery system for controlled dosing, timing, and location in small animals. Current implantable drug delivery devices do not provide control over these factors or are not feasible for implantation in research animals as small as mice. Our system utilizes an integrated electrolysis micropump, is refillable, has an inert drug reservoir for broad drug compatibility, and is capable of adjustment to the delivery regimen while implanted. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for characterization of electrodes on glass substrate and a flexible Parylene substrate. Benchtop testing of the electrolysis actuator resulted in flow rates from 1 to 34 μL/min on glass substrate and up to 6.8 μL/min on Parylene substrate. The fully integrated system generated a flow rate of 4.72 ± 0.35 μL/min under applied constant current of 1.0 mA while maintaining a power consumption of only ~3 mW. Finally, we demonstrated in vivo application of the system for anti-cancer drug delivery in mice. PMID:22273985

We present a fully integrated implantable electrolysis-based micropump with incorporated EI dosing sensors. Wireless powering and data telemetry (through amplitude and frequency modulation) were utilized to achieve variable flow control and a bi-directional data link with the sensors. Wireless infusion rate control (0.14-1.04 μL/min) and dose sensing (bolus resolution of 0.55-2 μL) were each calibrated separately with the final circuit architecture and then simultaneous wireless flow control and dose sensing were demonstrated. Recombination detection using the dosing system, as well as, effects of coil separation distance and misalignment in wireless power and data transfer were studied. A custom-made normally closed spring-loaded ball check valve was designed and incorporated at the reservoir outlet to prevent backflow of fluids as a result of the reverse pressure gradient caused by recombination of electrolysis gases. Successful delivery, infusion rate control, and dose sensing were achieved in simulated brain tissue. PMID:26149696

This paper presents the development of a gas-jet micropump with different cross-junctions and integrated hotwire. The device is actuated by a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) diaphragm at its resonant frequency. The design focuses on a cross-junction formed by the intersection of the channels and neck of the pump chamber, which allows differences in fluidic resistance and fluidic momentum during each PZT diaphragm vibration cycle and thus enables rectification of the gas without valves. Three different designs were investigated by utilizing the ANSYS-FLUENT software. Simulations and experimental data revealed that the step nozzle structure with anti-choking space has much more advantages than the others. The device has been fabricated by the standard MEMS process, and the tiny hotwire has been realized together with the fluidic network. Experiments have been carried out. At a driven frequency of 7.9 kHz, a flow rate of 5.2 ml min-1 was obtained with an applied sinusoidal voltage of 50 Vp-p. The output voltage on the hotwire was measured to be 130 mV at a constant current of I = 0.1 mA.

We propose an efficient modeling method for electrokinetic flows based on the Smoothed Profile Method (SPM) [1–4] and spectral element discretizations. The new method allows for arbitrary differences in the electrical conductivities between the charged surfaces and the the surrounding electrolyte solution. The electrokinetic forces are included into the flow equations so that the Poisson-Boltzmann and electric charge continuity equations are cast into forms suitable for SPM. The method is validated by benchmark problems of electroosmotic flow in straight channels and electrophoresis of charged cylinders. We also present simulation results of electrophoresis of charged microtubules, and show that the simulated electrophoretic mobility and anisotropy agree with the experimental values. PMID:20352076

A postprocessor has been developed to calculate space/time distributions of electrokinetic potentials resulting from histories of underground conditions (pressure, temperature, flowrate, etc.) computed by multi-phase multicomponent unsteady multidimensional geothermal reservoir simulations. Electrokinetic coupling coefficients are computed by the postprocessor using formulations based on experimental work reported by Ishido and Mzutani (1981). The purpose of the present study is to examine whether or not self-potential anomalies actually observed in real geothermal fields are consistent with quantitative mathematical reservoir models constructed using conventional reservoir engineering data. The most practical application of the postprocessor appears to be modeling self-potential changes induced by field-wide geothermal fluid production. Repeat self-potential surveying appears to be promising as a geophysical monitoring technique to provide constraints on mathematical reservoir models, in a similar fashion to the use of repeat microgravity surveys.

Electrokinetic (EK) phenomena in sediments arise from relative fluid motion in the pore space, which perturbs the electrostatic equilibrium of the double layer at the grain surface. We have developed EK techniques in the laboratory to monitor acoustic wave propagation in electrolyte-saturated, unconsolidated sediments. Our experimental results indicate that as an acoustic wave travels through electrolyte-saturated sand, it can generate electric potentials greater than 1 mV. A careful study of these potentials was performed using medium-grain sand and loose glass microspheres for a range of pore fluid salinities and ultrasonic frequencies. Experimental results are also shown to compare well with numerical and analytical modeling based on the coupled electrokinetic-Biot theory developed by Pride (1994).

The goals and objectives of the technical task plan (TTP) are to (1) describe the nature and extent of concrete contamination within the Department of Energy (DOE) complex and emerging and commercial technologies applicable to these problems; (2) to match technologies to the concrete problems and recommend up to four demonstrations; (3) to initiate recommended demonstrations; and (4) to continue investigation and evaluation of the application of electrokinetic decontamination processes to concrete. This document presents findings of experimental and theoretical studies of the electrokinetic decontamination (EK) process and their implications for field demonstrations. This effort is an extension of the work performed under TTP 142005, ``Electroosmotic Concrete Decontamination. The goals of this task were to determine the applicability of EK for treating contaminated concrete and, if warranted, to evaluate EK as a potential technology for demonstration. 62 refs.

Among methods which involve the flow of electric current, the electro-remediation techniques have shown useful both for the removal of polluting species, and for obtaining a series of parameters in relatively laboratory simple experiments which can be used to characterize soils. This technique was applied in the present study to obtain experimental results with two soils from Tenerife. The capacity of the method as methodology for the measurement of the buffering capacity of these soils during electrokinetic experiments was analyzed. The results obtained on electrokinetic determination of buffer capacity correlated quite well with behaviour observed in the pH curves. The technique was promising for soil description primarily because important information could be obtained in shorter time periods than those required when using routine laboratory methods of soil analysis. PMID:17320934

We have demonstrated in our earlier work that the application of a tangential electric field can draw fluid instabilities at the interface of a ferrofluid/water co-flow. These electrokinetic flow instabilities are produced primarily by the mismatch of electric conductivities of the two fluids. We demonstrate in this talk that the Joule heating induced fluid temperature rises and gradients can significantly suppress the electrokinetic flow instabilities. We also develop a two-dimensional depth-averaged numerical model to predict the fluid temperature, flow and concentration fields in the two-fluid system with the goal to understand the Joule heating effects on electric field-driven ferrofluid flow instabilities. This work was supported by the Honors and Creative Inquiry programs at Clemson University.

For electroosmotic pumping, a large direct-current (DC) electric field (10+ V/cm) is applied across a liquid, typically an aqueous electrolyte. At these high voltages, water undergoes electrolysis to form hydrogen and oxygen, generating bubbles that can block the electrodes, cause pressure fluctuations, and lead to pump failure. The requirement to manage these gases constrains system designs. This article presents an alternative polar liquid for DC electrokinetic pumping, propylene carbonate (PC), which remains free of bubbles up to at least 10 kV/cm. This offers the opportunity to create electrokinetic devices in closed configurations, which we demonstrate with a fully sealed microfluidic hydraulic actuator. Furthermore, the electroosmotic velocity of PC is similar to that of water in PDMS microchannels. Thus, water could be substituted by PC in existing electroosmotic pumps. PMID:26178406

In recent years, a potential controversy has arisen that whether the metal speciation in solid matrix determined its electrokinetic (EK) removal efficiency or by contrast. In present study, Cu and Zn in anaerobic digestate were selected as candidates to investigate the relation between the species of metal and EK treatment. The obtained results show that the removal efficiency for each fraction decreased in the order as follows: exchangeable ≥ bound to carbonates > bound to Fe-Mn oxides>bound to organic matters > residual. For both Cu and Zn, their total removal performance was dependent on their dominant fraction in the digestate. A constant pH maintenance around the digestate via circulation of acid electrolyte is an optional operation because a strong acid atmosphere (pH < 2) around the digestate can be formed automatically as EK time elapses. Despite that many reactions occurred during EK process, the species distribution of Cu and Zn in the digestate determined their total EK removal efficiency essentially. PMID:25562809

Remediation or cleanup of soils and groundwater polluted by heavy metals remains a challenge in the field of geo-environmental engineering. Many sites, like ore dressing plants, electroplating plants and battery factories may be polluted by heavy metals. In addition, some natural factors like metal deposits or abundant metal mines, hot springs and volcanic eruptions may also cause heavy metal pollutions. Unlike organic pollutants, heavy metals do not decay naturally, and active approaches to remediation are generally necessary. Although electrokinetic method is considered to be the only technique that is highly-perspective for in situ remediation of heavy metals, and numerous bench-scale studies as well as a few pilot scale experiments illustrated its applicability, this technique has not yet been widely used in practice due to the low efficiencies and/or unacceptable long remediation periods. To enhance the total efficiency of electrokinetic remediation, a systematic approach by integrating different technologies is proposed. This systematic approach includes 1) on-site quick mapping for screening out localized pollution areas, characterizing chemical composition of polluted soils, and for examining the progress of in situ remediation; 2) electrical resistivity tomography(ERT) or electrical resistivity imaging(ERI) for predicting geological structure and hydrogeological boundaries conditions of a polluted site, and for optimizing parameters like voltage and current density for an effective remediation; 3) the use of solar energy to increase flexibility in and applicability of electrokinetic technique; 4) combination with large scale modeling tests for a pertinent evaluation of the feasibility related to electrokinetic remediation for a given soil type taken from a specific polluted site; 5) combination with risk-assessment method to determine feasible cleanup levels; and 6) recovery of heavy metals deposited on electrode plates for possible use as resources

Electrokinetic remediation has been investigated extensively as one of the noble technologies in remediation of metal contaminated soils. However, its applications in remediation of organic contaminants have been limited due to low solubilities of organics in water. In addition, most organic contaminants are non-ionic and therefore, they are not mobile under electrical field. The use of surfactants may increase the remediation efficiency by increasing the solubility of organics. Significant fraction of organics associated with soil, can be transferred to micellar phase, which then can be transported toward either cathode or anode, depending on the ionic group of surfactants. In this study, the removal of hydrophobic organic contaminants from a soil using electrokinetic method was investigated in the presence of surfactants. A nonionic surfactant, Tween 80, and an anionic surfactant, SDBS, were used in the experiments. DDT was chosen as the model organic contaminant. Phase distribution studies and column experiments were conducted. It was found that both Tween 80 and SDBS had similar solubilization potentials for DDT. It was also shown that the aqueous DDT mass could reach from 0.01 to 13% of the total mass in the presence of 7500 mg/L of SDBS. No significant movement of DDT was observed when Tween 80 was used in the column experiments. This was attributed to low rates of electroosmotic flows and strong interaction of Tween 80 with the soil. The amount of surfactant was not enough to mobilize DDT significantly in the column studies. On the other hand, electrokinetic transport with SDBS yielded much better results. DDT transport toward the anode within the negatively charged micelles overcame the opposite electrosmotic flow. This was attributed to the lower degree of interaction between the soil and SDBS, and the electrokinetic transport of negatively charged micelles. PMID:17706747

This work is concerned with the investigation of the concentration fields in an electrokinetic micromixer and its optimization in order to achieve high mixing rates. The mixing concept is based on the combination of an alternating electrical excitation applied to a pressure-driven base flow in a meandering microchannel geometry. The electrical excitation induces a secondary electrokinetic velocity component, which results in a complex flow field within the meander bends. A mathematical model describing the physicochemical phenomena present within the micromixer is implemented in an in-house finite-element-method code. We first perform simulations comparable to experiments concerned with the investigation of the flow field in the bends. The comparison of the complex flow topology found in simulation and experiment reveals excellent agreement. Hence, the validated model and numerical schemes are employed for a numerical optimization of the micromixer performance. In detail, we optimize the secondary electrokinetic flow by finding the best electrical excitation parameters, i.e., frequency and amplitude, for a given waveform. Two optimized electrical excitations featuring a discrete and a continuous waveform are discussed with respect to characteristic time scales of our mixing problem. The results demonstrate that the micromixer is able to achieve high mixing degrees very rapidly. PMID:22712034

In this study, bioleaching was coupled with electrokinetics (BE) to remove heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb) from contaminated soil. For comparison, bioleaching (BL), electrokinetics (EK), and the chemical extraction method were also applied alone to remove the metals. The results showed that the BE method removed more heavy metals from the contaminated soil than the BL method or the EK method alone. The BE method was able to achieve metal solubilization rates of more than 70 % for Cu, Zn and Cr and of more than 40 % for Pb. Within the range of low current densities (<1 mA cm(-2)), higher current density led to more metal removal. However, the metal solubilization rates did not increase with increasing current density when the current density was higher than 1 mA cm(-2). Therefore, it is suggested that bioleaching coupled with electrokinetics can effectively remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils and that preliminary tests should be conducted before field operation to detect the lowest current density for the greatest metal removal. PMID:25680933

Electric field distributions of several different electrode configurations in non-uniform electric field were simulated using MATLAB software, and the electrokinetic remediation device was constructed according to the best electrode configuration. The changes of soil pH and heavy metal residues in different parts of the device during the electrokinetic remediation were also studied. The results showed that, in terms of the effectiveness of the electric field strength, the square (1-D-1) and hexagonal (2-D-3) were the optimal electrode configurations for one-dimensional and two-dimensional respectively and the changes of soil pH, the removal of heavy metals and the distribution of electric field were closely related to one another. An acidic migration band, which could prevent premature precipitation of heavy metals to a certain extent and promote electrokinetic removal of heavy metals, was formed gradually along with the remediation in the whole hexagon device when the cathodic pH was controlled during the remediation of the four cationic metallic ions, Cd2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+. After 480-hour remediation, the total removals of Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu were 86.6%, 86.2%, 67.7% and 73.0%, respectively. Remediation duration and replacement frequency of the electrodes could be adjusted according to the repair target. PMID:26031098

On-line concentration via Electrokinetic Supercharging (EKS) was used to enhance the sensitivity of the capillary electrophoretic separation of the four flavonoids naringenin, hesperetin, naringin and hesperidin. Separation conditions, including the background electrolyte pH and concentration, the length and choice of terminator and the electrokinetic injection time were optimized. The optimum conditions were: a background electrolyte of 30 mM sodium tetraborate (pH 9.5) containing 5% (v/v) of methanol, electrokinetic injection of the sample (130 s, -10 kV) followed by hydrodynamic injecting of 100 mM 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES) (17 s, 0.5 psi) as terminator, and separation with -20 kV. Under these conditions the four flavonoids could be separated with a sample-to-sample time of 15 min and detection limits from 2.0 to 6.8 ng mL(-1). When compared to a conventional hydrodynamic injection the sensitivity was enhanced between 824 and 1515 times which is 7.6-16 times higher than other CE methods for the on-line concentration of flavonoids. The applicability of the developed method was demonstrated by the detection of the four flavonoids in an aqueous extract of Clematis hexapetala pall. PMID:21949941

Since its introduction capillary electrophoresis has shown great potential in areas where electrophoretic techniques have rarely been used before, including here the analysis of pharmaceutical substances. The large majority of pharmaceutical substances are neutral from electrophoretic point of view, consequently separations by the classic capillary zone electrophoresis; where separation is based on the differences between the own electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes; are hard to achieve. Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, a hybrid method that combines chromatographic and electrophoretic separation principles, extends the applicability of capillary electrophoretic methods to neutral analytes. In micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, surfactants are added to the buffer solution in concentration above their critical micellar concentrations, consequently micelles are formed; micelles that undergo electrophoretic migration like any other charged particle. The separation is based on the differential partitioning of an analyte between the two-phase system: the mobile aqueous phase and micellar pseudostationary phase. The present paper aims to summarize the basic aspects regarding separation principles and practical applications of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, with particular attention to those relevant in pharmaceutical analysis. PMID:24312804

The method of electroosmosis was used to study the dependence of the electrokinetic potential of silicon carbide suspensions in mixtures of water -n. alcohol. The reasons for the dependence of the electrokinetic potential on the composition of the intermicellar liquid are discussed.

The trapping of charged microparticles under confinement in a converging-diverging microchannel, under a symmetric AC field of tunable frequency, is studied. We show that at low frequencies, the trapping characteristics stem from the competing effects of positive dielectrophoresis and the linear electrokinetic phenomena of electroosmosis and electrophoresis. It is found, somewhat unexpectedly, that electroosmosis and electrophoresis significantly affect the concentration profile of the trapped analyte, even for a symmetric AC field. However, at intermediate frequencies, the microparticle trapping mechanism is predominantly a consequence of positive dielectrophoresis. We substantiate our experimental results for the microparticle concentration distribution, along the converging-diverging microchannel, with a detailed theoretical analysis that takes into account all of the relevant frequency-dependent electrokinetic phenomena. This study should be useful in understanding the response of biological components such as cells to applied AC fields. Moreover, it will have potential applications in the design of efficient point-of-care diagnostic devices for detecting biomarkers and also possibly in some recent strategies in cancer therapy using AC fields. PMID:25954982

The use of spatially nonuniform electric fields for the contact-free colloidal particle assembly into ordered structures of various length scales is a research area of great interest. In the present work, numerical simulations are undertaken in order to advance our understanding of the physical mechanisms that govern this colloidal assembly process and their relation to the electric field characteristics and colloidal system properties. More specifically, the electric-field driven assembly of colloidal silica (d(p) = 0.32 and 2 μm) in DMSO, a near index matching fluid, is studied numerically over a range of voltages and concentration by means of a continuum thermodynamic approach. The equilibrium (u(f) = 0) and nonequilibrium (u(f) ≠ 0) cases were compared to determine whether fluid motion had an effect on the shape and size of assemblies. It was found that the nonequilibrium case was substantially different versus the equilibrium case, in both size and shape of the assembled structure. This dependence was related to the relative magnitudes of the electric-field driven convective motion of particles versus the fluid velocity. Fluid velocity magnitudes on the order of mm/s were predicted for 0.32 μm particles at 1% initial solids content, and the induced fluid velocity was found to be larger at the same voltage/initial volume fraction as the particle size decreased, owing to a larger contribution from entropic forces. PMID:22324312

The synthesis, characterization, and electrokinetic energy conversion performance have been investigated experimentally in a charged polymeric membrane based on a blend of nitrocellulose and sulfonated polystyrene. The membrane is characterized by a moderate ion exchange capacity and a relatively porous structure with average pore diameter of 11 nm. With electrokinetic energy conversion, pressure can be converted directly into electric energy and vice versa. From the electrokinetic transport properties, a remarkably large intrinsic maximum efficiency of 46% is found. It is anticipated that the results are an experimental verification of theoretical models that predict high electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency in pores with high permselectivity and hydrodynamic slip flow. Furthermore, the result is a promising step for obtaining efficient low-cost electrokinetic generators and pumps for small or microscale applications. PMID:25555128

Instead of direct current power supply, a series of electrokinetic remediation experiments driven by solar energy on fluorine-contaminated soil were conducted in a self-made electrolyzer, in order to reduce energy expenditure of electrokinetic remediation. After the 12-day electrokinetic remediation driven by solar energy, the removal efficiency of fluorine was 22.3%, and electrokinetic treatment had an impact on changes in partitioning of fluorine in soil. It proved that the combination of electrokinetics and solar energy was feasible and effective to some extent for the remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil. Meanwhile, the experimental results also indicated that the electromigration was a more dominant transport mechanism for the removal of fluorine from contaminated soil than electroosmosis, and the weather condition was the important factor in affecting the removal efficiency. PMID:23475445

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a detection method of biological molecules with label-free, non-ionizing, non-intrusive, no pollution and real-time monitoring. But owing to the strong THz absorption by water, it is mainly used in the solid state detection of biological molecules. In this paper, we present a microfluidic chip technique for detecting biological liquid samples using the transmission type of THz-TDS system. The microfluidic channel of the microfluidic chip is fabricated in the quartz glass using Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) technology and sealed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) diaphragm. The length, width and depth of the microfluidic channel are 25mm, 100μm and 50μm, respectively. The diameter of THz detection zone in the microfluidic channel is 4mm. The thicknesses of quartz glass and PDMS diaphragm are 1mm and 250μm, individually. Another one of the same quartz glass is used to bond with the PDMS for the rigidity and air tightness of the microfluidic chip. In order to realize the automation of sampling and improve the control precise of fluid, a micropump, which comprises PDMS diaphragm, pump chamber, diffuser and nozzle and flat vibration motor, is integrated on the microfluidic chip. The diffuser and nozzle are fabricated on both sides of the pump chamber, which is covered with PDMS diaphragm. The flat vibration motor is stuck on the PDMS diaphragm as the actuator. We study the terahertz absorption spectroscopy characteristics of glycerol with the concentration of 98% in the microfluidic chip by the aid of the THz-TDS system, and the feasibility of the microfluidic chip for the detection of liquid samples is proved.

The standard theory of induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO) often overpredicts experimental values of ICEO velocities. Using a nonsteady direct multiphysics simulation technique based on the coupled Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Stokes equations for an electrolyte around a conductive cylinder subject to an ac electric field, we find that a phase delay effect concerning an ion response provides a fundamental mechanism for electrokinetic suppression. A surprising aspect of our findings is that the phase delay effect occurs even at much lower frequencies (e.g., 50 Hz) than the generally believed charging frequency of an electric double layer (typically, 1 kHz) and it can decrease the electrokinetic velocities in one to several orders. In addition, we find that the phase delay effect may also cause a change in the electrokinetic flow directions (i.e., flow reversal) depending on the geometrical conditions. We believe that our findings move toward a more complete understanding of complex experimental nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena. PMID:27627362

The electrokinetic process is an emerging technology for in situ soil decontamination in which chemical species, both ionic and nonionic, are transported to an electrode site in soil. These products are subsequently removed from the ground via collection systems engineered for each specific application. The work presented here describes part of the effort undertaken to investigate electrokinetically enhanced transport of soil contaminants in synthetic systems. These systems consisted of clay or clay-sand mixtures containing known concentrations of a selected heavy-metal salt solution. These metals included surrogate radionuclides such as Sr, Cs and U, and an anionic species of Cr. Degree of removal of these metals from soil by the electrokinetic treatment process was assessed through the metal concentration profiles generated across the soil between the electrodes. Removals of some metal species up to 99% were achieved at the anode or cathode end of the soil upon 24 to 48 hours of treatment or a maximum of 1 pore volume of water displacement toward the cathode compartment. Transient pH change through the soil had an effect on the metal movement, as evidenced by accumulation of the metals at the discharge ends of the soil specimens. This accumulation was attributed to the precipitation of the metal and increased cation retention capacity of the clay in high pH environment at the cathode end. In general, the reduced mobility and dissociation of the ionic species as they encounter areas of higher ionic concentration in their path of migration resulted in the accumulation of the metals at the discharge ends of the soil specimens.

A glass capillary ultramicroelectrode (tip diameter approximately 1.2 microm) having an electrokinetic sampling ability is described. It is composed of a pulled glass capillary filled with an inner solution and three internal electrodes (Pt working and counter electrodes and an Ag/AgCl reference electrode). The voltammetric response of the capillary electrode is based on electrokinetic transport of analyte ions from the sample solution into the inner solution across the conical tip. It was found that the electrophoretic migration of analytes at the conical tip is faster than electroosmotic flow, enabling electrokinetic transport of analyte ions into the inner solution of the electrode. By using [Fe(CN)6]4- and (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FcTMA+) ions as model analytes, differential pulse voltammetric responses of the capillary electrode were investigated in terms of tip diameter of the capillary, sampling voltage, sampling time, detection limit and selectivity. The magnitude of the response depends on the size and charge of analyte ions. With a capillary electrode having a approximately 1.2-microm tip diameter, which minimizes non-selective diffusional entry of analytes, the response after 1 h sampling at +1.7 V is linearly related to [Fe(CN)6]4- concentration in the range of 0.50-5.0 mM with the detection limit of 30 microM. Application of a potential of the same sign as that of the analyte ion forces the analyte to move out from the electrode to the solution, enabling reuse of the same capillary electrode. The charge-selective detection of analytes with the capillary electrode is demonstrated for [Fe(CN)6]4- in the presence of FcTMA+. PMID:11993675

Electrokinetic remediation is an emerging technology for extracting heavy metals from contaminated soils and sediments. This method uses a direct or alternating electric field to induce the transport of contaminants toward the electrodes. The electric field also produces pH variations, sorption/desorption and precipitation/dissolution of species in the porous medium during remediation. Since heavy metal mobility is pH-dependent, the accurate control of pH inside the material is required in order to enhance the removal efficiency. The common approach for monitoring the remediation process both in laboratory and in the field is the chemical analysis of samples collected from discrete locations. The purpose of this study is the evaluation of Spectral Induced Polarization as an alternative method for monitoring geochemical changes in the contaminated mass during remediation. The advantage of this technique applied to field-scale is to offer higher resolution mapping of the remediation site and lower cost compared to the conventional sampling procedure. We carried out laboratory-scale electrokinetic remediation experiments on fine-grained marine sediments contaminated by heavy metal and we made Spectral Induced Polarization measurements before and after each treatment. Measurements were done in the frequency range 10- 3-103 Hz. By the deconvolution of the spectra using the Debye Decomposition method we obtained the mean relaxation time and total chargeability. The main finding of this work is that a linear relationship exists between the local total chargeability and pH, with good agreement. The observed behaviour of chargeability is interpreted as a direct consequence of the alteration of the zeta potential of the sediment particles due to pH changes. Such relationship has a significant value for the interpretation of induced polarization data, allowing the use of this technique for monitoring electrokinetic remediation at field-scale.

This paper presents a systematic bench-scale laboratory study performed to assess the transient behavior of chromium, nickel, and cadmium in different soils during electrokinetic remediation. A series of laboratory electrokinetic experiments was conducted using two different clayey soils, kaolin and glacial till. For each type of soil, four electrokinetic experiments with 1, 2, 4, and 10 d of treatment time were performed. In all tests, the contaminants were Cr(VI), Ni(II), and Cd(II) combined in the soil. A geochemical assessment was performed using the geochemical model MINEQL(+) to determine the partitioning of the heavy metals in soils as precipitated, adsorbed, and aqueous forms. Results showed that in kaolin, the extent of Ni(II) and Cd(II) migration towards the cathode increased as the treatment time increased. Unlike kaolin, in glacial till treatment time had no effect on nickel and cadmium migration because of its high buffering capacity. In both kaolin and glacial till, the extent of Cr(VI) migration towards the anode increased as the treatment time increased. However, Cr(VI) migration was higher in glacial till as compared to kaolin because of the high pH conditions that existed in glacial till. In all tests, some Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), and the Cr(VI) reduction rate to Cr(III) as well as the Cr(III) migration were significantly affected by the treatment time. Overall, this study showed that the electroosmotic flow as well as the direction and extent of contaminant migration and removal depend on the polarity of the contaminant, the type of soil, and the treatment duration. PMID:18155269

There is current interest in finding sustainable remediation technologies for the removal of contaminants from soil and groundwater. This review focuses on the combination of electrokinetics, the use of an electric potential to move organic and inorganic compounds, or charged particles/organisms in the subsurface independent of hydraulic conductivity; and bioremediation, the destruction of organic contaminants or attenuation of inorganic compounds by the activity of microorganisms in situ or ex situ. The objective of the review is to examine the state of knowledge on electrokinetic bioremediation and critically evaluate factors which affect the up-scaling of laboratory and bench-scale research to field-scale application. It discusses the mechanisms of electrokinetic bioremediation in the subsurface environment at different micro and macroscales, the influence of environmental processes on electrokinetic phenomena and the design options available for application to the field scale. The review also presents results from a modelling exercise to illustrate the effectiveness of electrokinetics on the supply electron acceptors to a plume scale scenario where these are limiting. Current research needs include analysis of electrokinetic bioremediation in more representative environmental settings, such as those in physically heterogeneous systems in order to gain a greater understanding of the controlling mechanisms on both electrokinetics and bioremediation in those scenarios. PMID:24875868

The objective of this research was to demonstrate that electrokinetics can be used to remove colloidal coal and mineral particles from coal-washing ponds and lakes without the addition of chemical additives such as salts and polymeric flocculants. The specific objectives were: Design and develop a scaleable electrophoresis apparatus to clarify suspensions of colloidal coal and clay particles; Demonstrate the separation process using polluted waste water from the coal-washing facilities at the coal-fired power plants in Centralia, WA; Develop a mathematical model of the process to predict the rate of clarification and the suspension electrical properties needed for scale up.

Electrokinetic supercharging (EKS) is considered as one of the most powerful online preconcentration techniques in electrophoresis. It combines the efficient preconcentration power of field-amplified sample injection and the exceptional selective nature of transient isotachophoresis. It has a wide range of applications to different types of analytes ranging from small ions to large proteins and DNA fragments. This comprehensive review--up to date--provides listing for all the works, developments, and advances in EKS. The review will pay particular attention to innovations, new methodologies for manipulation, challenges for improving the detection sensitivity, and various applications of EKS in capillaries and microchips. PMID:21793208

A finite element discretization using a method of lines approached is proposed for approximately solving the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations. This discretization scheme enforces positivity of the computed solutions, corresponding to particle density functions, and a discrete energy estimate is established that takes the same form as the energy law for the continuous PNP system. This energy estimate is extended to finite element solutions to an electrokinetic model, which couples the PNP system with the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Numerical experiments are conducted to validate convergence of the computed solution and verify the discrete energy estimate.

The influence of the texture of a hydrophobic surface on the electro-osmotic slip of the second kind and the electrokinetic instability near charge selective surfaces (permselective membranes, electrodes, or systems of microchannels and nanochannels) is investigated theoretically using a simple model based on the Rubinstein-Zaltzman approach. A simple formula is derived to evaluate the decrease in the instability threshold due to hydrophobicity. The study is complemented by numerical investigations both of linear and nonlinear instabilities near a hydrophobic membrane surface. Theory predicts a significant enhancement of the ion flux to the surface and shows a good qualitative agreement with the available experimental data.

Cationic biopolymer nanofiber fabrics were prepared from a chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) blend solution by electrospray deposition. Their electrokinetic properties and DNA adsorption behavior were analyzed as a function of pH. The zeta potential was determined from streaming potential/streaming current measurements. The adsorption of DNA onto the fabrics was investigated by spectrophotoscopy. The adsorption behavior of DNA correlated well with the electrokinetic properties of the fabrics. This revealed that the electrokinetic approach was a useful option for characterization of novel nanofiber assemblies made by the electrostatic spray process. In addition, these results provided fundamental information about chitosan nanofiber fabrics for both biomedical and analytical applications. PMID:17359992

A thermo-electro-hydro-dynamic model is developed to analytically account for the effects of Stern layer conductance on electrokinetic energy conversion in nanofluidic channels. The optimum electrokinetic devices performance is dependent on a figure of merit, in which the Stern layer conductance appears as a nondimensional Dukhin number. Such surface conductance is found to significantly reduce the figure of merit and thus the efficiency and power output. This finding may explain why the recently measured electrokinetic devices performances are far below the theoretical predictions where the effects of Stern layer conductance have been ignored. PMID:18246575

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Focusing suspended particles in a fluid into a single file is often necessary prior to continuous-flow detection, analysis, and separation. Electrokinetic particle focusing has been demonstrated in constricted microchannels by the use of the constriction-induced dielectrophoresis. However, previous studies on this subject have been limited to Newtonian fluids only. We report in this paper an experimental investigation of the viscoelastic effects on electrokinetic particle focusing in non-Newtonian polyethylene oxide solutions through a constricted microchannel. The width of the focused particle stream is found NOT to decrease with the increase in DC electric field, which is different from that in Newtonian fluids. Moreover, particle aggregations are observed at relatively high electric fields to first form inside the constriction. They can then either move forward and exit the constriction in an explosive mode or roll back to the constriction entrance for further accumulations. These unexpected phenomena are distinct from the findings in our earlier paper [Lu et al., Biomicrofluidics 8, 021802 (2014)], where particles are observed to oscillate inside the constriction and not to pass through until a chain of sufficient length is formed. They are speculated to be a consequence of the fluid viscoelasticity effects. PMID:25713690

With the implementation of recombinant DNA technology in the pharmaceutical industry, some synthetic insulins have been developed in order to improve the therapy of diabetes. These analogues differ only slightly in the amino acid sequence, therefore displaying a great challenge for analytical chemistry. Within the work presented in this paper, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) as micelle-forming agent, and microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) with microemulsions consisting of SDS, n-octane and 1-butanol were investigated for the separation of human insulin and five synthetic analogues. Best results were achieved with a solvent-modified MEKC system consisting of 100mM sodium dodecyl sulphate and 15% acetonitrile in 10mM borate buffer (pH 9.2). A similar system based on perfluorooctanoic acid as micelle-forming agent in ammonium acetate (pH 9.2) was successfully employed for the hyphenation with a quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometer via a sheath-flow interface. In this case, detection limits at 10mg/L could be achieved. PMID:19027906

Electrokinetic remediation of uranium-contaminated soil was studied in a series of laboratory-scale experiments in test cells with identical geometry using quartz sand at approximately 10 percent moisture content. Uranium, when present in the soil system as an anionic complex, could be migrated through unsaturated soil using electrokinetics. The distance that the uranium migrated in the test cell was dependent upon the initial molar ratio of citrate to uranium used. Over 50 percent of the uranium was recovered from the test cells using the citrate and carbonate complexing agents over of period of 15 days. Soil analyses showed that the uranium remaining in the test cells had been mobilized and ultimately would have been extracted. Uranium extraction exceeded 90 percent in an experiment that was operated for 37 days. Over 70 percent of the uranium was removed from a Hanford waste sample over a 55 day operating period. Citrate and carbonate ligand utilization ratios required for removing 50 percent of the uranium from the uranium-contaminated sand systems were approximately 230 moles ligand per mole uranium and 1320 moles ligand per mole uranium for the waste. Modifying the operating conditions to increasing the residence time of the complexants is expected to improved the utilization efficiency of the complexing agent.

The high organic matter content in agricultural soils tends to complex and retain contaminants such as heavy metals. Electrokinetic remediation was tested in an agricultural soil contaminated with Co(+2), Zn(+2), Cd(+2), Cu(+2), Cr(VI), Pb(+2) and Hg(+2). The unenhanced electrokinetic treatment was not able to remove heavy metals from the soil due to the formation of precipitates in the alkaline environment in the soil section close to the cathode. Moreover, the interaction between metals and organic matter probably limited metal transportation under the effect of the electric field. Citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were used in the catholyte as complexing agents in order to enhance the extractability and removal of heavy metals from soil. These complexing agents formed negatively charged complexes that migrated towards the anode. The acid front electrogenerated at the anode favored the dissolution of heavy metals that were transported towards the cathode. The combined effect of the soil pH and the complexing agents resulted in the accumulation of heavy metals in the center of the soil specimen. PMID:27127923

Electroacoustics has recently been used to measure electrokinetic properties of colloidal systems. When an alternating electric field is applied to a colloidal suspension, charged particles in the liquid will move electrophoretically and create an alternating pressure wave. The electrokinetic sonic amplitude (ESA), which is the pressure amplitude per unit electric field, is related to the electrophoretic mobility and [zeta] potential. For a solid suspension in an electrolyte solution, the measured ESA signal is a combination of two signals: one for the solid and the other for the background electrolyte. Under certain operating conditions, the contribution from the background electrolyte signal is not negligible and must be subtracted from the measured value to arrive at the particle ESA value. Background electrolyte corrections were performed on a Geltech silica and a US Silica no. 40 quartz at two ionic strengths (0.01 and 0.1 M NaCl) covering the pH range 2-8. These corrections are important at high ionic strengths because the ESA signal for the solid decreases and the background signal increases with increasing ionic strength. 12 refs., 11 figs.

In this work, four bench-scale plants containing soil spiked with four herbicides (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), oxyfluorfen, chlorsulfuron and atrazine) undergo treatment consisting of an electrokinetic soil flushing (EKSF). Results clearly demonstrate that efficiency of EKSF depends on the chemical characteristic of the pesticide used. The amount of pesticide collected in the anode well is more significant than that collected in the cathode wells, indicating that the electromigration is much more important than drainage by electro-osmotic flux for this application. After 15 d of treatment, the 2,4-D is the pesticide most efficiently removed (95% of removal), while chlorsulfuron is the pesticide more resilient to the treatment. Additionally, volatilization was found to be a process of the major significance in the application of electrokinetic techniques to soil polluted with herbicides and because of that it should always be taken into account in the future design of full-scale processes. PMID:27016816

This paper describes the influence of two polymers, fulvic acid (FA) and polyacrylic acids (PAAs) of comparable molecular mass, on the electrokinetic potential of model surfaces encountered in clay minerals: silica (SiO{sub 2}), aluminum oxide ({gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), and gibbsite [{gamma}-Al(OH){sub 3}]. Measurements at pH 6.5 {+-} 0.2 show that FA and PAAs modify the potentials of aluminum oxide and gibbsite, but leave the silica surface unchanged. A chlorite clay mineral (ripidolite), milled to increase the numbers of oxy-hydroxy groups at newly created surfaces, was exposed to FA and PAAs, carriers of carboxylic groups, to study their influence on electrokinetic potential. The key to the interaction is that polymers hold metal ions (Al, Mg, Fe) in the edge surfaces, while siloxane groups show limited interaction or none at all. The results offer an explanation of why clay mineral particles are always negatively charged in natural waters.

This paper studies the possibility of providing oxygen to a soil by an electrokinetic technique, so that the method could be used in future aerobic polluted soil bioremediation treatments. The oxygen was generated from the anodic reaction of water electrolysis and transported to the soil in a laboratory-scale electrokinetic cell. Two variables were tested: the soil texture and the voltage gradient. The technique was tested in two artificial soils (clay and sand) and later in a real silty soil, and three voltage gradients were used: 0.0 (control), 0.5, and 1.0 V cm(-1). It was observed that these two variables strongly influenced the results. Oxygen transport into the soil was only available in the silty and sandy soils by oxygen diffusion, obtaining high dissolved oxygen concentrations, between 4 and 9 mg L(-1), useful for possible aerobic biodegradation processes, while transport was not possible in fine-grained soils such as clay. Electro-osmotic flow did not contribute to the transport of oxygen, and an increase in voltage gradients produced higher oxygen transfer rates. However, only a minimum fraction of the electrolytically generated oxygen was efficiently used, and the maximum oxygen transport rate observed, approximately 1.4 mgO2 L(-1)d(-1), was rather low, so this technique could be only tested in slow in-situ biostimulation processes for organics removal from polluted soils. PMID:25173714

Turbulence is commonly viewed as a type of macroflow phenomenon under a sufficiently high Reynolds number (Re). On the other hand, it has been widely perceived in science, engineering and medicine that there is never any turbulence in low Re flow for Newtonian fluids. There is even difficulty to characterize turbulence in microchannels with current available velocimeters, due to the requirement of simultaneously high spatial and temporal resolution. Recently, we generated micro-electrokinetic (EK) turbulence in a microchannel when a pressure driven flow at low Re on the order of unity is electrokinetically forced. We also developed a novel velocimeter, i.e. laser induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometer (LIFPA) that enables us to measure the velocity fluctuations with simultaneously high spatial and temporal resolution. Here we surprisingly observed with LIFPA that the corresponding micro EK turbulence can also have some features of high Re flows, such as Kolmogorov -5/3 spectrum and the exponential tail of probability density function of velocity fluctuation, and the scaling behavior of velocity structure function. This work could provide a new perspective on turbulence. The work was supported by NSF under grant no. CAREER CBET-0954977, MRI CBET-1040227.

Ion concentration polarization is the fundamental transport phenomenon that occurs near ion-selective membranes, but this important membrane phenomenon has been poorly understood due to theoretical and experimental challenges. Here, we report the first direct measurements of detailed flow and electric potential profiles within and near the depletion region. This work is an important step towards a full characterization of this coupled transport problem. Using microfabricated electrodes integrated with the microfluidic device, we measured and confirmed that the electric field inside an ion depletion region is amplified more than 30 fold compared to outside of the depletion zone due to the highly non-uniform ion concentration distribution along the microchannel. As a result, the electrokinetic motion of both fluid (electroosmosis) and particle (electrophoresis) was significantly amplified. The detailed flow profile within the depletion zone was also measured for the first time by optically tracking photobleached neutral dye molecules. We further showed that the amplified electrokinetic flows generated in this device may be used as a field-controlled, microfluidic fluid pump and switch. PMID:19358584

The efficient separation of discrete particle species is a topic of interest in numerous research fields for its practical application to problems encountered in both academia and industry. We have recently developed an electrokinetic technique that exploits the curvature-induced dielectrophoresis (C-iDEP) to continuously sort particles by inherent properties in asymmetric double-spiral microchannels. Herein we demonstrate that a single-spiral microchannel is also sufficient for a continuous-flow sheathless electrokinetic particle separation. This method relies on C-iDEP to focus particles to a tight stream and the wall-induced electric lift to manipulate the aligned particles to size-dependent equilibrium positions, both of which happen simultaneously inside the spiral. A theoretical model is developed to understand this size-based separation, which has been implemented for both a binary mixture and a ternary mixture of colloidal particles. The obtained analytical formulae predict with a close agreement both the experimentally measured particle center-wall distance and the necessary electric field for a complete particle focusing in the spiral.

Electrokinetic remediation is an emerging technique that can be used to remove metals from saturated or unsaturated soils. In unsaturated soils, control of the medium's water content is essential. Previously used electrode designs have caused detrimental soil wetting due to excess electroosmotic flow out of ceramic-encased anodes. The authors tested a method to reverse the electroosmotic flow at the anode by treating the ceramic casing with the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA). Laboratory tests showed the untreated ceramic had an electroosmotic permeability of 2.4 x 10{sup {minus}5} cm{sup 2} V{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. Ceramic treated with HDTMA had an electroosmotic permeability of {minus}1.3 x 10{sup {minus}5} cm{sup 2} V{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. Under an applied electric potential, electroosmotic flow was reversed in the HDTMA-treated ceramic, indicating a reversed zeta potential due to formation of an HDTMA bilayer on the ceramic surface. Field tests conducted over a 6-month period showed negligible water loss from HDTMA-treated ceramic compared to untreated ceramics. The results indicated that a surfactant treatment to the anode ceramic casing can greatly improve the application of electrokinetics in unsaturated environments.

Wireless infusion rate control and programmability for an implantable, low power, electrochemical micropump is presented. Flow rate control was achieved through adjustment of the wiper position of a current potentiometer in the wireless receiver (0.6-3.2 mA output current with a resolution of 0.2 mA per step). An off-the-shelf Bluetooth module and Basic Stamp microcontroller kit was used to initiate amplitude-shift keying (ASK) modulation of the inductive power signal. Accurate flow control of two model regimens was achieved on benchtop. Wireless transmission (power transfer and control) was not affected by simulated tissue material placed between the transmitter and receiver. PMID:25570100

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) and the related techniques of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) are relatively new to environmental analysis. E is better known in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields where it is employed for protein and drug separations, respective...

Conventionally, a 1-D micro/nanofluidic device, whose nanochannel bridged two microchannels, was widely chosen in the fundamental electrokinetic studies; however, the configuration had intrinsic limitations of the time-consuming and labor intensive tasks of filling and flushing the microchannel due to the high fluidic resistance of the nanochannel bridge. In this work, a pseudo 1-D micro/nanofluidic device incorporating air valves at each microchannel was proposed for mitigating these limitations. High Laplace pressure formed at liquid/air interface inside the microchannels played as a virtual valve only when the electrokinetic operations were conducted. The identical electrokinetic behaviors of the propagation of ion concentration polarization layer and current-voltage responses were obtained in comparison with the conventional 1-D micro/nanofluidic device by both experiments and numerical simulations. Therefore, the suggested pseudo 1-D micro/nanofluidic device owned not only experimental conveniences but also exact electrokinetic responses. PMID:27248856

A series of laboratory experiments involving simple, ultrasonic, electrokinetic, electrokinetic/ ultrasonic flushing test were carried out for treatment and removal of heavy metal and hydrocarbon from contaminated groundwater in sandy layers under a river bank. The test results show that the electrokinetic/ultrasonic flushing technique is most effective for the removal of heavy metal and hydrocarbon from contaminated sandy layers by the coupling action of their own phenomena. It is shown that the electrokinetic technique is most effective to enhance the removal efficiency of heavy metal contaminants such as cadmium from contaminated sandy soil under the river bank; on the other hand the ultrasonic technique is most effective to enhance the removal efficiency of hydrocarbon contaminant, such as diesel fuel from contaminated soil. PMID:17305157

Mixed-mode electrokinetic capillary chromatography (mixed-ECC) has been used for the enantioseparation of organophosphorus pesticides. In mixed-ECC, a combination of three pseudostationary phases including surfactants, neutral, and charged cyclodextrins, are used to resolve very ...

We have designed and constructed a compact cell to measure the electrokinetic coefficients in the frequency range of interest to hydrocarbon exploration, 20 to 100 Hz. Experimental results are presented on the frequency dependence of the electrokinetic coefficients, and dynamic permeability of a porous rock saturated with either 0.1 mole brine or transformer oil. In particular, the brine-saturated electro-osmosis coefficient is found to be two orders of magnitude larger than that saturated with transformer oil; whereas for the streaming potential the ratio of the two cases is in the reverse. These results, when combined with viscosity and electrical conductivity values, lead consistently to the fact that the electrokinetic Onsager coefficient of brine-saturated samples is three orders of magnitude larger than that of oil-saturated samples. This difference provides a strong motivation to further explore the potential application of electrokinetic Onsager coefficient as a hydrocarbon indicator.

Electrokinetic remediation has been successfully used to remove organic contaminants and heavy metals within soil. The electrokinetic process changes basic soil properties, but little is known about the impact of this remediation technology on indigenous soil microbial activities. This study reports on the effects of electrokinetic remediation on indigenous microbial activity and community within diesel contaminated soil. The main removal mechanism of diesel was electroosmosis and most of the bacteria were transported by electroosmosis. After 25 days of electrokinetic remediation (0.63 mA cm(-2)), soil pH developed from pH 3.5 near the anode to pH 10.8 near the cathode. The soil pH change by electrokinetics reduced microbial cell number and microbial diversity. Especially the number of culturable bacteria decreased significantly and only Bacillus and strains in Bacillales were found as culturable bacteria. The use of EDTA as an electrolyte seemed to have detrimental effects on the soil microbial activity, particularly in the soil near the cathode. On the other hand, the soil dehydrogenase activity was enhanced close to the anode and the analysis of microbial community structure showed the increase of several microbial populations after electrokinetics. It is thought that the main causes of changes in microbial activities were soil pH and direct electric current. The results described here suggest that the application of electrokinetics can be a promising soil remediation technology if soil parameters, electric current, and electrolyte are suitably controlled based on the understanding of interaction between electrokinetics, contaminants, and indigenous microbial community. PMID:20452646

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria capable of growing under electrokinetic conditions were isolated using an adjusted acclimation and enrichment procedure based on soil contaminated with heavy PAHs in the presence of an electric field. Their ability to degrade heavy PAHs under an electric field was individually investigated in artificially contaminated soils. The results showed that strains PB4 (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and FB6 (Kocuria sp.) were the most efficient heavy PAH degraders under electrokinetic conditions. They were re-inoculated into a polluted soil from an industrial site with a PAH concentration of 184.95 mg kg(-1). Compared to the experiments without an electric field, the degradation capability of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Kocuria sp. was enhanced in the industrially polluted soil under electrokinetic conditions. The degradation extents of total PAHs were increased by 15.4 and 14.0% in the electrokinetic PB4 and FB6 experiments (PB4 + EK and FB6 + EK) relative to the PB4 and FB6 experiments without electrokinetic conditions (PB4 and FB6), respectively. These results indicated that P. fluorescens and Kocuria sp. could efficiently degrade heavy PAHs under electrokinetic conditions and have the potential to be used for the electro-bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil, especially if the soil is contaminated with heavy PAHs. PMID:26615425

Compared to soil pollution by heavy metals and organic pollutants, soil pollution by fluorides is usually ignored in China. Actually, fluorine-contaminated soil has an unfavorable influence on human, animals, plants, and surrounding environment. This study reports on electrokinetic remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil and the effects of this remediation technology on soil fertility. Experimental results showed that electrokinetic remediation using NaOH as the anolyte was a considerable choice to eliminate fluorine in contaminated soils. Under the experimental conditions, the removal efficiency of fluorine by the electrokinetic remediation method was 70.35%. However, the electrokinetic remediation had a significant impact on the distribution and concentrations of soil native compounds. After the electrokinetic experiment, in the treated soil, the average value of available nitrogen was raised from 69.53 to 74.23 mg/kg, the average value of available phosphorus and potassium were reduced from 20.05 to 10.39 mg/kg and from 61.31 to 51.58 mg/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, the contents of soil available nitrogen and phosphorus in the anode regions were higher than those in the cathode regions, but the distribution of soil available potassium was just the opposite. In soil organic matter, there was no significant change. These experiment results suggested that some steps should be taken to offset the impacts, after electrokinetic treatment. PMID:26109225

An electrokinetic technique has been developed as a means of in situ remediation of soils, sludges, and sediments that are contaminated with heavy metals. Examples of common metal contaminants that can be removed by this technique include cadmium, chromium, zinc, lead, mercury, and radionuclides. Some organic contaminants can also be removed by this technique. In the electrokinetic technique, a low-intensity direct current is applied between electrodes that have been implanted in the ground on each side of a contaminated soil mass. The electric current causes electro-osmosis and migration of ions, thereby moving aqueous-phase subsurface contaminants from one electrode to the other. The half reaction at the anode yields H+, thereby generating an acid front that travels from the anode toward the cathode. As this acid front passes through a given location, the local increase in acidity increases the solubility of cations that were previously adsorbed on soil particles. Ions are transported towards one electrode or the other which one depending on their respective electric charges. Upon arrival at the electrodes, the ionic contaminants can be allowed to become deposited on the electrodes or can be extracted to a recovery system. Surfactants and other reagents can be introduced at the electrodes to enhance rates of removal of contaminants. Placements of electrodes and concentrations and rates of pumping of reagents can be adjusted to maximize efficiency. The basic concept of electrokinetic treatment of soil is not new. What is new here are some of the details of application and the utilization of this technique as an alternative to other techniques (e.g., flushing or bioremediation) that are not suitable for treating soils of low hydraulic conductivity. Another novel aspect is the use of this technique as a less expensive alternative to excavation: The cost advantage over excavation is especially large in settings in which contaminated soil lies near and/or under

Researchers of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences have carried out a large number of current injection experiments using a 4.2 km long dipole at the Bishkek Research Station in the Chu valley area of the Kyrgyz mountains (northern Tien Shan). The current is generated using Pulsed Magneto-Hydrodynamic (MHD) generators that can produce 2800 amperes at 1350 volts for up to 12.1 seconds. They have found that the number of earthquakes in the region within 150 km of the injection site increased by over 10 standard deviations of the background seismicity. The probability of this occurring by chance is only one in every thousand million million (10^15) measurements. It is certain, therefore, that we can generate earthquakes by current injection. However, no satisfactory physical mechanism for it currently exists. Paul Glover has suggested that an electro-kinetic mechanism may be the missing causal link. In his theory the injected current creates a three-dimensional electric field in the subsurface. The electro-kinetic mechanism uses the electric field to move the pore fluid at depth. If the pore fluid flows into a fault zone it may accumulate and transiently raise the pore fluid pressure within the fault zone. It is known that increases of pore fluid pressure within fault zones more than a critical pressure of 0.05 MPa are sufficient to trigger an earthquake if the fault has sufficient accumulated strain. Earthquakes are therefore possible while the pore fluid pressure is over the critical pressure. While the electro-kinetic drive has been well studied around the world, it is uncertain if the mechanism can provide fluid pressures sufficient to trigger earthquakes up to 150 km from the injection point. In this work we present two dimensional numerical modelling of the proposed coupled mechanism using a finite element approach and using the software package Comsol Multiphysics. The initial results are promising and indicate that (i

Magnetically controlled reactive ion etching (MC-RIE) of a fluorinated polyimide substrate achieved etching selectivity of up to 2600, resulting in a smoothly etched surface and structures hundreds of micrometers high having good perpendicularity. This technique is useful for three-dimensional microfabrication. As an example of a typical application, we fabricated an ion drag integrated micropump with microgrid sets consisting of 0960-1317/6/3/003/img1 high pole-shaped counter-electrode elements arranged like a pair of interleaved combs by using a fluorinated polyimide as the structural material, metallization, and lift-off using a ZnO sacrificial layer. This micropump moved ethanol with a flow rate of about 0960-1317/6/3/003/img2 when 200 V was applied to the counter electrodes.

In this paper, a confined micronanochannel is presented to concentrate ions in a restricted zone. A general model exploiting the Poisson-Nernst-Plank equations coupled with the Navier-Stokes equation is employed to simulate the electrokinetic ion transport. The influences of the micronanochannel dimension and the surface charge density on the potential distribution, the ion concentration, and the fluid flow are investigated. The numerical results show that the potential drop depends mainly on the nanochannel, instead of the confined channel. Both decreasing the width and increasing the length enhance the ion enrichment performance. For a given nanochannel, ultimate value of ion concentration may be determined by the potential at the center point of the nanochannel. The study also shows that the enrichment stability can be improved by increasing the micronanochannel width, decreasing the micronanochannel length and reducing the surface charge density. PMID:26995194

We describe a method for generating molecular hydrogen directly from the charge separation effected via rapid flow of liquid water through a metal orifice, wherein the input energy is the hydrostatic pressure times the volume flow rate. Both electrokinetic currents and hydrogen production rates are shown to follow simple equations derived from the overlap of the fluid velocity gradient and the anisotropic charge distribution resulting from selective adsorption of hydroxide ions to the nozzle surface. Pressure-driven fluid flow shears away the charge balancing hydronium ions from the diffuse double layer and carries them out of the aperture. Downstream neutralization of the excess protons at a grounded target electrode produces gaseous hydrogen molecules. The hydrogen production efficiency is currently very low (ca. 10-6) for a single cylindrical jet, but can be improved with design changes.

The need for coupling micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with electrospray mass spectrometry initiates the development of partial-filling MEKC. In comparison with conventional MEKC, only a small portion of the capillary is filled with a micellar solution for performing the separation in partial-filling MEKC. Analytes first migrate into the micellar plug, where the separation occurs, and then into the leading electrophoresis buffer, which is free of surfactants. A theoretical model is proposed for predicting the separation behavior of triazine herbicides in partial-filling MEKC. The comparisons between conventional and partial-filling MEKC in terms of separation efficiency and resolution of triazine herbicides are presented and discussed. The optimization techniques, possible applications, and advantages of partial-filling MEKC are similarly addressed. 11 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs.

The usefulness of the combined use of the electrokinetic (EK) remediation and a ferrite treatment zone (FTZ) was demonstrated for a treatment of the contaminated soil with heavy metal ions. Copper ions in contaminated soil were transferred into the FTZ by the EK technology and were ferritized in this system. The distribution of copper in a migration chamber after EK treatment with FTZ for 48h showed the large difference in the total and eluted concentration of copper. This indicated that copper ions transferred by EK into the FTZ were ferritized there with ferrite reagent in soil alkalified by EK process. The copper-ferrite compound, which was not dissolved with diluted acid, was retained in the FTZ and accumulated there. The ratio of the ferritized amount of copper against total copper was 92% in the EK process with FTZ after 48 h. PMID:17374444

Tungsten-based alloys and composites are being used and new formulations are being considered for use in the manufacturing of different types of ammunition. The use of tungsten heavy alloys (WHA) in new munitions systems and tungsten composites in small caliber ammunition could potentially release substantial amounts of this element into the environment. Although tungsten is widely used in industrial and military applications, tungsten's potential environmental and health impacts have not been thoroughly addressed. This necessitates the research and development of remedial technologies to contain and/or remove tungsten from soils that may serve as a source for water contamination. The current work investigates the feasibility of using electrokinetics for the remediation of tungsten-contaminated soils in the presence of other heavy metals of concern such as Cu and Pb with aim to removing W from the soil while stabilizing in situ, Pb and Cu. PMID:17686582

We analyze the electrokinetic transport of aqueous electrolyte fluids with Newtonian model in presence of peristalsis through microchannel. Debye-Hückel linearization is employed to simplify the problem. Low Reynolds number and large wavelength approximations are taken into account subjected to microfluidics applications. Electrical double layer (EDL) is considered very thin and electroosmotic slip velocity (i.e. Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity) at the wall is subjected to study the effect of applied electrical field. The solutions for axial velocity and pressure difference along the channel length are obtained analytically and the effects of adding and opposing the flow by applied electric field have been discussed. It is revealed that the axial velocity and pressure gradient enhances with adding electric field and an opposite behavior is found in the flow direction on opposing the electric field. These results may also help towards designing organ-on-a-chip like devices for better drug design.

Separating particles from a heterogeneous mixture is important and necessary in many engineering and biomedical applications. Electrokinetic flow-based continuous particle separation has so far been realized primarily by the use of particle dielectrophoresis induced in constricted and/or curved microchannels. We demonstrate in this talk that particles can be continuously separated by size when passing through a bifurcating microchannel. This sheathless label-free separation relies on the wall-induced electrical lift force that acts to focus particles to the center of the main-branch and deflect them to size-dependent flow paths in the two side-branches. We also develop a numerical model to predict and understand this separation.

We show that when particles are suspended in an electrolyte confined between corrugated charged surfaces, electrokinetic flows lead to a new set of phenomena such as particle separation, mixing for low-Reynolds micro- and nanometric devices, and negative mobility. Our analysis shows that such phenomena arise, for incompressible fluids, due to the interplay between the electrostatic double layer and the corrugated geometrical confinement and that they are magnified when the width of the channel is comparable to the Debye length. Our characterization allows us to understand the physical origin of such phenomena, therefore, shedding light on their possible relevance in a wide variety of situations ranging from nano- and microfluidic devices to biological systems.

A simple nanoliter-scale injection technique was developed for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices to form the well-defined sample plugs in microfluidic channels. Sample injection was achieved by performing acupuncture on a channel with a needle and applying external pressure to a syringe. This technique allowed us to achieve reproducible injection of a 3-nL segment into a microchannel for PDMS microchip-based capillary electrophoresis (CE). Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with bead packing were successfully performed by applying a single potential in the most simplified straight channel. The advantages of this acupuncture injection over the electrokinetic injection in microchip CE include capability of minimizing sample loss and voltage control hardware, capability of serial injections of different sample solutions into a same microchannel, capability of injecting sample plugs into any position of a microchannel, independence on sample solutions during the loading step, and ease in making microchips due to the straight channel, etc. PMID:27056036

An analytical strategy micelle to trapping solution stacking (MSS) was developed in acidic buffer in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The stacking mechanism is based on the transport, release, capturing of molecules bound to micelle carriers that are made to collapse into trapping solution (TS) to serve as the medium to contain and stacking the analytes. Tetrandrine and fangchinoline were selected as model mixture using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles as carrier to demonstrate this stacking method. The experiments by MSS-MEKC were carried out and further compared with those by normal MEKC. The results reveal that 113-123-fold improvements in the detection sensitivity was obtained for the analytes, and separation and determination of tetrandrine and fangchinoline in Stephaniae tetrandrae S. Moore and Fengtongan capsules were finished under optimum conditions using the sample matrix containing 8.0mM SDS and TS containing 50mM H(3)PO(4)-55% (v/v) ethanol. PMID:19945115

Electrokinetics is a developping technology that is intended to separate and extract heavy metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants from saturated or unsaturated soils, sludges and sediments, and groundwater. The goal of electrokinetic remediation is to effect the migration of subsurface contaminants in an imposed electric field. This technique is known as electrokinetic remediation, electroreclamation, electrochemical decontamination, electrorestoration, electromigration or electrochemical soil processing. Electrokinetics involves the installation of electrodes into the subsurface surrounding the contaminated region. After the electrodes are in place, a low electrical potential is applied across the anode(s) (positively charged electrode) and the cathode(s) (negatively charged electrode). As a result of the electrical gradient, different physico-chemical reactions occur and contaminant transport occurs due to various mechanisms within the soil and groundwater. Generally, for the migration to be significant, the contaminants should be in a soluble form. If they are not soluble, they need to be desorbed, dissolved, and/or solubilized into the pore solution before they can be adequately transported from the soil to an electrode wells/reservoirs. Different types of contaminants have been investigated and research has been conducted to optimize the electrokinetic variables. The present study was undertaken to systematically investigate the effect of initial sludge water content, and heating on the electrokinetic remediation of alumium-contaminated sludge. A total of four laboratory experiments were conducted using drinking water sludge. The first two tests studied the effect of variation of initial sludge water content under an ambient temperature, and the last two tests studied the effect of heating on electrokinetic remediation under conditions of both constant saturation and applied voltage.

The introduction of biological macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins into living cells plays a crucial role in the fundamental analysis of cellular functions and mechanisms in living systems. Therefore, we have been developing an effective platform for the in vitro manipulation and analysis of biological cells at the single-cells. In this paper, we successfully demonstrated a novel intracellular delivery method of DNA into living HeLa cells via a glass micropipette based on DC-biased ACelectrokinetically driven forces. We also proposed a vibration-assisted insertion method for penetrating a cell membrane to reduce cell damage. Preliminary insertion tests on homemade SICM system and FEM simulations revealed that the application of the mechanical oscillation can reduce the deformation of cells probably due to an increase in their viscous resistance. Moreover, we also found that a change in the ion current during the insertion process allows us to detect the instant when the micropipette tip penetrates the cell membrane.

Hydrocarbon contaminated soil and groundwater is considered to be a leading cause for increased health risk and environmental contamination. Therefore, an efficient technique is needed to retard the movement or enhance the removal of the contaminant depending on the remediation objective. The goals of this study were to evaluate the impact of the addition of a cationic surfactant on the movement of hydrocarbons within a contaminated clay soil subjected to electrokinetic treatment. Water-flushing and surfactant-flushing experiments were conducted on one-dimensional soil columns. The model diesel fuel was composed of a mixture of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes [BTEX] and three selected polycyclic hydrocarbons [PAHs]. In the water-flushing experiments, the application of an electrokinetic treatment was found to enhance the removal of PAHs from the clay columns by about 20%. In contrast, the application of an electrokinetic treatment, when coupled with cationic surfactant-flushing, retarded the movement of BTEX and the three selected PAHs in the clay columns. Hydraulic columns with surfactant (CTAB) removed 17% more naphthalene and 11% more 2-methylnaphthalene compared to columns subjected to electrokinetic treatment with CTAB. The flux through the electrokinetic columns during water flushing as well as surfactant flushing was higher than the flux due to hydraulic gradient alone. As the solubility of hydrocarbons increased, they moved farther with electrokinetic treatment without CTAB. However, with CTAB the electrokinetic treatment tends to retard the movement. Use of a cationic surfactant coupled with electrokinetic treatment was found to retard the movement of contaminants. PMID:16894821

Optimizing process parameters that affect the remediation time and power consumption can improve the treatment efficiency of the electrokinetic remediation as well as determine the cost of a remediation action. Lab-scale electrokinetic remediation of Pb-contaminated soils was investigated for the effect of complexant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and acetic acid and approaching anode on the removal efficiency of Pb. When EDTA was added to the catholyte, EDTA dissolved insoluble Pb in soils to form soluble Pb-EDTA complexes, increasing Pb mobility and accordingly removal efficiency. The removal efficiency was enhanced from 47.8 to 61.5 % when the EDTA concentration was increased from 0.1 to 0.2 M, showing that EDTA played an important role in remediation. And the migration rate of Pb was increased to 72.3 % when both EDTA and acetic acid were used in the catholyte. The "approaching anode electrokinetic remediation" process in the presence of both EDTA and acetic acid had a higher Pb-removal efficiency with an average efficiency of 83.8 %. The efficiency of electrokinetic remediation was closely related to Pb speciation. Exchangeable and carbonate-bounded Pb were likely the forms which could be removed. All results indicate that the approaching anode method in the presence of EDTA and acetic acid is an advisable choice for electrokinetic remediation of Pb-contaminated soil. PMID:24203258

Dielectrophoresis, a nonlinear electrokinetic transport mechanism, has become popular in many engineering applications including manipulation, characterization and actuation of biomaterials, particles and biological cells. In this paper, we present a hybrid immersed interface–immersed boundary method to study AC dielectrophoresis where an algorithm is developed to solve the complex Poisson equation using a real variable formulation. An immersed interface method is employed to obtain the AC electric field in a fluid media with suspended particles and an immersed boundary method is used for the fluid equations and particle transport. The convergence of the proposed algorithm as well as validation of the hybrid scheme with experimental results is presented. In this paper, the Maxwell stress tensor is used to calculate the dielectrophoretic force acting on particles by considering the physical effect of particles in the computational domain. Thus, this study eliminates the approximations used in point dipole methods for calculating dielectrophoretic force. A comparative study between Maxwell stress tensor and point dipole methods for computing dielectrophoretic forces are presented. The hybrid method is used to investigate the physics of dielectrophoresis in microfluidic devices using an AC electric field. The numerical results show that with proper design and appropriate selection of applied potential and frequency, global electric field minima can be obtained to facilitate multiple particle trapping by exploiting the mechanism of negative dielectrophoresis. Our numerical results also show that electrically neutral particles form a chain parallel to the applied electric field irrespective of their initial orientation when an AC electric field is applied. This proposed hybrid numerical scheme will help to better understand dielectrophoresis and to design and optimize microfluidic devices.

Dielectrophoresis, a nonlinear electrokinetic transport mechanism, has become popular in many engineering applications including manipulation, characterization and actuation of biomaterials, particles and biological cells. In this paper, we present a hybrid immersed interface-immersed boundary method to study AC dielectrophoresis where an algorithm is developed to solve the complex Poisson equation using a real variable formulation. An immersed interface method is employed to obtain the AC electric field in a fluid media with suspended particles and an immersed boundary method is used for the fluid equations and particle transport. The convergence of the proposed algorithm as well as validation of the hybrid scheme with experimental results is presented. In this paper, the Maxwell stress tensor is used to calculate the dielectrophoretic force acting on particles by considering the physical effect of particles in the computational domain. Thus, this study eliminates the approximations used in point dipole methods for calculating dielectrophoretic force. A comparative study between Maxwell stress tensor and point dipole methods for computing dielectrophoretic forces are presented. The hybrid method is used to investigate the physics of dielectrophoresis in microfluidic devices using an AC electric field. The numerical results show that with proper design and appropriate selection of applied potential and frequency, global electric field minima can be obtained to facilitate multiple particle trapping by exploiting the mechanism of negative dielectrophoresis. Our numerical results also show that electrically neutral particles form a chain parallel to the applied electric field irrespective of their initial orientation when an AC electric field is applied. This proposed hybrid numerical scheme will help to better understand dielectrophoresis and to design and optimize microfluidic devices.

A variety of different sampling devices are currently available to acquire air samples for the study of the microbiome of the air. All have a degree of technical complexity that limits deployment. Here, we evaluate the use of a novel device, which has no technical complexity and is easily deployable. An air-cleaning device powered by electrokinetic propulsion has been adapted to provide a universal method for collecting samples of the aerobiome. Plasma-induced charge in aerosol particles causes propulsion to and capture on a counter-electrode. The flow of ions creates net bulk airflow, with no moving parts. A device and electrodemore » assembly have been re-designed from air-cleaning technology to provide an average air flow of 120 lpm. This compares favorably with current air sampling devices based on physical air pumping. Capture efficiency was determined by comparison with a 0.4 μm polycarbonate reference filter, using fluorescent latex particles in a controlled environment chamber. Performance was compared with the same reference filter method in field studies in three different environments. For 23 common fungal species by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), there was 100 % sensitivity and apparent specificity of 87%, with the reference filter taken as “gold standard.” Further, bacterial analysis of 16S RNA by amplicon sequencing showed equivalent community structure captured by the electrokinetic device and the reference filter. Unlike other current air sampling methods, capture of particles is determined by charge and so is not controlled by particle mass. We analyzed particle sizes captured from air, without regard to specific analyte by atomic force microscopy: particles at least as low as 100 nM could be captured from ambient air. This work introduces a very simple plug-and-play device that can sample air at a high-volume flow rate with no moving parts and collect particles down to the sub-micron range. In conclusion, the performance of

A variety of different sampling devices are currently available to acquire air samples for the study of the microbiome of the air. All have a degree of technical complexity that limits deployment. Here, we evaluate the use of a novel device, which has no technical complexity and is easily deployable. An air-cleaning device powered by electrokinetic propulsion has been adapted to provide a universal method for collecting samples of the aerobiome. Plasma-induced charge in aerosol particles causes propulsion to and capture on a counter-electrode. The flow of ions creates net bulk airflow, with no moving parts. A device and electrode assembly have been re-designed from air-cleaning technology to provide an average air flow of 120 lpm. This compares favorably with current air sampling devices based on physical air pumping. Capture efficiency was determined by comparison with a 0.4 μm polycarbonate reference filter, using fluorescent latex particles in a controlled environment chamber. Performance was compared with the same reference filter method in field studies in three different environments. For 23 common fungal species by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), there was 100 % sensitivity and apparent specificity of 87%, with the reference filter taken as “gold standard.” Further, bacterial analysis of 16S RNA by amplicon sequencing showed equivalent community structure captured by the electrokinetic device and the reference filter. Unlike other current air sampling methods, capture of particles is determined by charge and so is not controlled by particle mass. We analyzed particle sizes captured from air, without regard to specific analyte by atomic force microscopy: particles at least as low as 100 nM could be captured from ambient air. This work introduces a very simple plug-and-play device that can sample air at a high-volume flow rate with no moving parts and collect particles down to the sub-micron range. In conclusion, the performance of the

Recently, a new device (Combilith) for electrokinetic lithotripsy (EKL) has become available which is very similar to the well-known device for pneumatic (ballistic) lithotripsy (Swiss Lithoclast). The Lithoclast uses air pressure to push a projectile within the handpiece against the end of a metal probe, which is thereby accelerated and thrown like a jackhammer against the stone. In principle, the same stroking movement of a small metal probe is provided by EKL; the difference is that instead of a projectile, a magnetic core within the handpiece is accelerated by the electromagnetic principle. This paper compares the clinical efficacy and the features of the two devices. Testing the devices on a stone model, taking into account stone propulsion, the systems turned out to equally effective regarding stone disintegration. However, stone displacement was more pronounced with the Lithoclast applied on easily breaking stones. In a second experiment, an optoelectronic movement-measuring apparatus (Zimmer camera) was employed to measure the range and velocity of the movement of the probe tip without any contact. The linear acceleration velocity ranged from 5 to a maximum of 12.5 m/sec with both systems, but the maximum height of the stroke was 2.5 mm with the Lithoclast and 1 mm with EKL. After the initial break-up of soft stones, further impact of the probe tip against the stone resulted merely in propulsion; thus, the greater probe stroke height is the cause of the stone displacement. In a clinical trial, 22 ureteral stones were treated with the Lithoclast and 35 with the EKL. The two devices were equally effective in terms of stone disintegration and safety margin. Fixation using a Dormia basket was necessary in 12 cases (8 Lithoclast, 4 EKL). Although a difference in probe stroke height was noted when comparing pneumatic and electrokinetic lithotripsy, there were no clinically significant differences in the efficacy of stone fragmentation or stone-free rates. At the

A microfabricated instrument for detecting and identifying cells and other particles based on alternating current (AC) impedance measurements. The microfabricated AC impedance sensor includes two critical elements: 1) a microfluidic chip, preferably of glass substrates, having at least one microchannel therein and with electrodes patterned on both substrates, and 2) electrical circuits that connect to the electrodes on the microfluidic chip and detect signals associated with particles traveling down the microchannels. These circuits enable multiple AC impedance measurements of individual particles at high throughput rates with sufficient resolution to identify different particle and cell types as appropriate for environmental detection and clinical diagnostic applications.

The flow behaviour and performance parameters of a diffuser-nozzle element of a valveless micropump have been investigated for different driving pressure frequencies. When a fluctuating pressure is imposed on the inlet boundary of a diffuser-nozzle element, there is a net flow in diffuser direction due to the dynamic effect. The variation of this net flow along with rectification capacity, and diffuser efficiency has been investigated for different frequencies of driving pressure. Flow behaviour and recirculation region due to dynamic effect have been studied as qualitative study. Pressure and velocity have been analyzed for quantitative analysis and for validation with results found in literature. 2-D geometry has been used in the present study. 3-D geometry has been modeled to justify the results obtained from 2-D analysis. Five different pressure frequencies ranging from 5 kHz to 50 kHz have been used to investigate their effects on the performance of diffuser-nozzle element in high frequency ranges. The net flow and performance of the nozzle-diffuser element are found to be decreasing with the increasing frequency. The performance is found to be less sensitive to frequency at high pressure range (above 30 kHz).

• Aims To develop a procedure for isolating living egg cells and zygotes from Alstroemeria ovules. • Scope An attempt was made to isolate egg cells and zygotes from the ovules of Alstroemeria aurea. The ovules were histologically observed using a clearing procedure which revealed the localization and sizes of the embryo sacs and egg apparatus within the ovules. For the isolation of egg cells, ovules were cut into sections with a surgical blade and treated with an enzyme solution. Subsequently, these ovule sections were dissected using a glass needle under an inverted microscope. Egg cells successfully isolated by this procedure were collected using microcapillaries connected to a micropump. For zygote isolation, ovules were excised from ovaries 24 h after self-pollination. By treating excised ovules with an enzyme solution and subsequently dissecting them using a glass needle, zygotes were successfully isolated from the ovules and collected with a microcapillary. The isolated zygotes were associated with pollen tubes and one of the synergids. Egg cells and zygotes were viable for up to 2 h following isolation, as determined by fluorescein diacetate staining. • Conclusions The procedures for isolating egg cells and zygotes in Alstroemeria were established, and each egg cell and zygote was captured with a microcapillary. PMID:16621859

Traditionally, capillary pressure is determined by increasing or decreasing external fluid pressures to change the immiscible fluid saturation in a porous medium. The resulting saturation and interfacial area are then linked to the capillary pressure through constitutive equations. A key question is whether externally measured pressures are sensitive to changes in distributions that arise from internal changes in contact angles. As a first step in addressing this question, we investigated the effect of electro-kinetic manipulation on interfacial area and contact angles for a fixed saturation. An EWOD (electro-wetting on dielectric) technique was used to alter the contact angle of single 10 μL droplets of a 1M KCl-H2O solution. A liquid droplet was placed on a glass cover slip (18 mm x 18 mm) coated with a layer of silver (100 nm in thickness) to act as an electrode and then spin-coated with polyimide (a dielectric). A platinum wire was inserted into the droplet and connected to an AC voltage source. The glass plate electrode was connected to ground. Measurements were made for Vrms voltages between 0 to 300 V at a frequency of 50 Hz. Two CCD cameras were used to image changes in the shape of a droplet. One camera was placed on a microscope to capture a top view of a drop in order to measure changes in areal extent and the perimeter of the drop. The second camera imaged a drop from the side to measure contact angles and side-view areal extent and perimeter. At low voltages, the cosine of the contact angle, θ, after applying voltage was linearly dependent on Vrms2. Several experiments showed that the slope of the low-voltage relationship of cos θ vs Vrms2 remained constant for all trials. As the voltage increased, the contact angle saturated. From the side-view images, the contact angle and interfacial length decreased with increasing voltage. From the top-view images, the drop shape changed from circular to elliptical-to irregular as the voltage increased

This paper describes instrumental analysis laboratory exercises that utilize capillary electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography to demonstrate several analytical and chemical principles. Alkyl parabens (4-hydroxy alkyl benzoates), which are common ingredients in cosmetic formulations, are separated by capillary electrophoresis. The electrophoretic mobilities of the parabens can be explained on the basis of their relative size. 3-Hydroxy ethylbenzoate is also separated to demonstrate the effect of substituent position on the acid dissociation constant and the effect this has on electrophoretic mobility. Homologous series of alkyl benzoates and alkyl phthalates (common plasticizers) are separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography at four surfactant concentrations. This exercise demonstrates the separation mechanism of micellar electrokinetic chromatography, the concept of chromatographic phase ratio, and the concepts of micelle formation. A photodiode array detector is used in both exercises to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of the detector and to demonstrate the effect of pH and substituent position on the spectra of the analytes.

This invention relates generally to the remote detections of subsurface liquid contaminants using in combination a geophysical technique known as ERT and an EKS. Electrokinetic transport is used to enhance the ability of electrical resistance tomography (ERT) to detect position and movement of subsurface contaminant liquids, particles or ions. ERT images alone are difficult to interpret because of natural inhomogeneities in soil composition and electrical properties. By subtracting two or more ERT images obtained before and after field induced movement, a high contrast image of a plume of distinct electrokinetic properties can be seen. The invention is applicable to important subsurface characterization problems including, as examples, (1) detection of liquid-saturated plumes of contaminants such as those associated with leaks from underground storage tanks containing hazardous concentrated electrolytes, (2) detection and characterization of soils contaminated with organic pollutants such as droplets of gasoline; and (3) monitoring the progress of electrokinetic containment or clean up of underground contamination.

This invention relates generally to the remote detections of subsurface liquid contaminants using in combination a geophysical technique known as ERT and an EKS. Electrokinetic transport is used to enhance the ability of electrical resistance tomography (ERT) to detect position and movement of subsurface contaminant liquids, particles or ions. ERT images alone are difficult to interpret because of natural inhomogeneities in soil composition and electrical properties. By subtracting two or more ERT images obtained before and after field induced movement, a high contrast image of a plume of distinct electrokinetic properties can be seen. The invention is applicable to important subsurface characterization problems including, as examples, (1) detection of liquid-saturated plumes of contaminants such as those associated with leaks from underground storage tanks containing hazardous concentrated electrolytes, (2) detection and characterization of soils contaminated with organic pollutants such as droplets of gasoline; and (3) monitoring the progress of electrokinetic containment or clean up of underground contamination. 1 fig.

In this article, we review the applications of a novel theory (Ohshima 2009 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 10 063001) to the analysis of electrokinetic data for various soft particles, that is, particles covered with an ion-permeable surface layer of polyelectrolytes. Soft particles discussed in this review include various biological cells and hydrogel-coated particles as a model of biological cells. Cellular transformations increase the concentration of sialic acid of glycoproteins and are associated with blocked biosynthesis of glycolipids and aberrant expression of the developmentally programmed biosynthetic pathway. The change in shape or biological function of cells may affect their surface properties and can be detected by electrokinetic measurements. The experimental results were analyzed with Ohshima's electrokinetic formula for soft particles and soft surfaces. As a model system, hydrogel surfaces that mimic biological surfaces were also prepared and their surface properties were studied.

In this study, an effective method for the separation of imidazole derivatives 2-methylimidazole (2-MEI), 4- methylimidazole (4-MEI) and 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI) in caramel colors using cation-selective exhaustive injection and sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CSEI-sweeping-MEKC) was developed. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) for the CSEI-sweeping-MEKC method were in the range of 4.3-80μgL(-1) and 14-270μgL(-1), respectively. Meanwhile, a rapid fabrication activated carbon-polymer (AC-polymer) monolithic column as adsorbent for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of imidazole colors was developed. Under the optimized SPME condition, the extraction recoveries for intra-day, inter-day and column-to-column were in the range of 84.5-95.1% (<6.3% RSDs), 85.6-96.1% (<4.9% RSDs), and 81.3-96.1% (<7.1% RSDs), respectively. The LODs and LOQs of AC-polymer monolithic column combined with CSEI-sweeping-MEKC method were in the range of 33.4-60.4μgL(-1) and 111.7-201.2μgL(-1), respectively. The use of AC-polymer as SPME adsorbent demonstrated the reduction of matrix effect in food samples such as soft drink and alcoholic beverage thereby benefiting successful determination of trace-level caramel colors residues using CSEI-sweeping-MEKC method. The developed AC-polymer monolithic column can be reused for more than 30 times without any significant loss in the extraction recovery for imidazole derivatives. PMID:26363948

Some physical properties of nanogel particles formed by chitosan ionically cross-linked by tripolyphosphate (TPP) have been studied. Electrokinetic properties and colloidal stability were analyzed as a function of pH and ionic strength of the medium. Chitosan particles showed volume phase transitions (swelling/shrinking processes) when the physicochemical conditions of the medium were changed. Experimental data were mainly obtained by electrophoretic mobility measurements and by photon correlation spectroscopy and static light scattering techniques. Chitosan chains possess glucosamine groups that can be deprotonated if the pH increases. Therefore, modification of pH from acid to basic values caused a deswelling process based on a reduction of the intramolecular electric repulsions inside the particle mesh. Electrophoretic mobility data helped to corroborate the above electrical mechanism as responsible for the size changes. Additionally, at those pH values around the isoelectric point of the chitosan-TPP particles, the system became colloidally unstable. Ionic strength variations also induced important structural changes. In this case, the presence of KCl at low and moderate concentrations provoked swelling, which rapidly turned on particle disintegration due to the weakness of chitosan-TPP ionic interactions. These last results were in good agreement with the predictions of gel swelling theory by salt in partially ionized networks. PMID:15721903

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) has been applied for the determination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in several foodstuffs. A 75mM phosphate buffer solution at pH 8.0 containing 100mM sodium dodecylsulphate was used as background electrolyte (BGE), and the separation was performed by applying +25kV in a 50μm I.D. uncoated fused-silica capillary. Good linearity over the range 2.5-250mgkg(-1) (r(2)⩾0.999) and run-to-run and day-to-day precisions at low and medium concentration levels were obtained. Sample limit of detection (0.7mgkg(-1)) and limit of quantification (2.5mgkg(-1)) were established by preparing the standards in blank matrix. The procedure was validated by comparing the results with those obtained with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Levels of HMF in 45 different foodstuffs such as breakfast cereals, toasts, honey, orange juice, apple juice, jam, coffee, chocolate and biscuits were determined. PMID:25213975

This article addresses the problem of oscillating laminar electrokinetic liquid flow in an infinitely extended circular microchannel. Based on the Debye-Huckel approximation for low surface potential at the channel wall, a complex variable approach is used to obtain an analytical solution for the flow. The complex counterparts of the flow rate and the current are linearly dependent on the pressure gradient and the external electric field. This property is used to show that Onsager's principle of reciprocity continues to be valid (involving the complex quantities) for the stated problem. During oscillating pressure-driven flow, the electroviscous effect for a given value of the normalized reciprocal electrical double-layer (EDL) thickness is observed to attain a maximum at a certain normalized frequency. In general, an increasing normalized frequency results in a reduction of EDL effects, leading to (i). a volumetric flow rate in the case of streaming potential approaching that predicted by the theory without EDL effects, and (ii). a reduction in the volumetric flow rate in the case of electroosmosis. PMID:12725819

Electroporation of mammalian cells has received a significant amount of theoretical attention over the last decade because of its ability to deliver biologically active molecules into cells using short and strong electric field pulses. However, application of the same theory to bacterial electroporation presents significant challenges because of the presence of charged soft layers around bacteria. The soft layer charge distribution has been found to significantly influence bacterial electrophoretic mobility and polarizability because it alters the electric potential spatial distribution around the cell envelope. In addition, the RC charging time scale of both the soft layer and electric double layer is of the order of microseconds, which is also of similar order of magnitude as the pore creation time scale. Therefore in this study, we investigate the influence of soft layer electrokinetics on the spatial pore distribution and the temporal pore radius evolution during bacteria electroporation, which are quantitative measures of a bacterium's amenability to electroporation. The study will have significant impact on designing and optimizing bacteria electroporation platforms for gene and drug delivery applications.

A review is given on recent studies of charged colloidal suspensions and polyelectrolytes both in static and non-equilibrium situations. As far as static equilibrium situations are concerned, we discuss three different problems: 1) Sedimentation density profiles in charged suspensions are shown to exhibit a stretched non-bariometric wing at large heights and binary suspensions under gravity can exhibit an analog of the brazil-nut effect known from granular matter, i.e. the heavier particles settle on top of the lighter ones. 2) Soft polyelectrolyte systems like polyelectrolyte stars and microgels show an ultra-soft effective interaction and this results into an unusual equilibrium phase diagram including reentrant melting transitions and stable open crystalline lattices. 3) The freezing transition in bilayers of confined charged suspensions is discussed and a reentrant behaviour is obtained. As far as nonequilibrium problems are concerned, we discuss an interface instability in oppositely driven colloidal mixtures and discuss possible approaches to simulate electrokinetic effects in charged suspensions.

The use of a single set of microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) separation conditions has been assessed for its applicability in the analysis of a range of pharmaceutical compounds. Particular emphasis was placed on neutral or very hydrophobic compounds, which can be difficult to analyse by conventional capillary electrophoresis. The microemulsion employed for the majority of separations consisted of 0.81% w/w octane, 6.61% w/w 1-butanol, 3.31% w/w sodium dodecyl sulphate and 89.27% w/w 10 mM sodium tetraborate buffer. Good separations of methyl, ethyl, butyl and propyl hydroxybenzoates, and a range of ionic and neutral water soluble and insoluble compounds was achieved using a single set of separation conditions. A number of novel applications of MEEKC were developed included the simultaneous determination of the active components and preservatives in liquid formulation and determination of drug related impurities. Improved performance was obtained through use of internal standards and preparation of the samples dissolved in the microemulsion solution. Validation aspects such as linearity, repeatability, accuracy, injection precision and sensitivity were successfully assessed. PMID:9919981

Zeolites are used in environmental remediation of soil or water to immobilize or remove toxic materials by cation exchange. An experiment was conducted to test the use a low electric field to direct the toxic cations towards the zeolite. An electrokinetic cell was constructed using carbon electrodes. Synthetic Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite was placed in the cell. Copper(II) chloride dissolved in water was used as a contaminant. The Cu(2+) concentration was measured for ten hours with and without an applied electric field. The removal of the Cu(2+) ions was accelerated by the applied field in the first two hours. For longer time, the electric field did not improve the removal rate of the Cu(2+) ions. The presence of zeolite and applied electric field complicates the chemistry near the cathode and causes precipitation of Cu(2+) ions as copper oxide on the surface of the zeolite. With increased electric field the zeolite farther away from the cathode had little cation exchange due to the higher drift velocity of the Cu(2+) ions. The results also show that, in the LTA Zeolite A pellets, the cation exchange of Cu is limited to a shell of several tens of micrometers. PMID:21109348

This study analyses the effect of the scale-up of electrokinetic remediation (EKR) processes in natural soils. A procedure is proposed to prepare soils based on a compacting process to obtaining soils with similar moisture content and density to those found in real soils in the field. The soil used here was from a region with a high agrarian activity (Mora, Spain). The scale-up study was performed in two installations at different scales: a mock-up pilot scale (0.175m(3)) and a prototype with a scale that was very similar to a real application (16m(3)). The electrode configuration selected consisted of rows of graphite electrodes facing each other located in electrolyte wells. The discharge of 20mg of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2,4-D] per kg of dry soil was treated by applying an electric potential gradient of 1Vcm(-1). An increase in scale was observed to directly influence the amount of energy supplied to the soil being treated. As a result, electroosmotic and electromigration flows and electric heating are more intense than in smaller-scale tests (24%, 1% and 25%, respectively respect to the values in prototype). In addition, possible leaks were evaluated by conducting a watertightness test and quantifying evaporation losses. PMID:27209275

Remediation of a soil contaminated with methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was studied by using the electrokinetic technique. A series of experimental tests were carried out on contaminated soil in an electro-osmotic apparatus at different applied gradients of voltage and time. The tests were conducted with distilled water and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA) solution as electrolyte. During each test the values of pH at anode and cathode reservoirs and also the discharge from cathode were measured. At the end of each test a number of soil samples were extracted from the middle of the soil at different distances from the anode and the removal of contaminant was measured by a gas chromatography apparatus. The results indicate that with EDTA as electrolyte the highest efficiency for removal of MTBE is achieved with 2.0 V/cm gradient and in the duration of 14 days. In addition, EDTA causes the values of pH to increase and decrease in the cathode and anode reservoirs, respectively. It also decreases the effluent and electro-osmotic permeability in comparison with distilled water. Experimental data were analysed by ANOVA and t-test methods. These statistical analyses showed significant difference (at 5% level) between the reference and other tests. PMID:26787321

Naturally occurring mycotoxins are separated using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. Trends in the retention of these toxins, resulting from changes in mobile-phase composition and pH, are reported and presented as a means of alleviating coelution problems. Two sets of mobile-phase conditions are determined that provide unique separation selectivity. The facile manner by which mobile-phase conditions can be altered, without changes in instrumental configuration, allowed the acquisition of two distinctive, fully resolved chromatograms of 10 mycotoxins in a period of approximately 45 min. By adjusting retention times, using indigenous or added components in mycotoxin samples as normalization standards, it is possible to obtain coefficients of variation in retention time that average less than 1%. The qualitative capabilities of this methodology are evaluated by separating randomly generated mycotoxin-interferent mixtures. In this study, the utilization of normalized retention times applied to separations obtained with two sets of mobile-phase conditions permitted the identification of all the mycotoxins in five unknown samples without any misidentifications. 24 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

The formation features of nanoadsorption polyelectrolyte (PE) layers with the formation of a mineral-organic matrix on the surface of clay minerals and soils (kaolinite, montmorillonite, quartz sand, gray forest soil, and chernozemic soil) have been elucidated by direct adsorption measurements. It has been found that the experimental values for the limit adsorption of polyacrylamide (PAM) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) on all the minerals are significantly higher than the calculated values for the formation of a monolayer. This indicates adsorption on the surface of not only separate macromolecules but also secondary PE structures as packets or fibrils determining the cluster-matrix structure of the modified surface. The study of the electro-surface properties (electrophoretic mobility, electrokinetic potential, pH, and electroconductivity) of mineral and soil particles adsorption-modified with PEs has confirmed the differences in the adsorption mechanisms (from physical sorption to chemisorption) with the formation of surface compounds depending on the different polar groups of PEs and the mineral type.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was applied for enantioseparation of selected flavanones, including naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, naringenin, hesperetin, pinostrobin, isosakuranetin, eriodictyol, and homoeriodictyol. gamma-Cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) and sodium cholate (SCh) were used as chiral modifiers inducing enantioselectivity to the background electrolyte. From among many investigated selectors only these two appeared to possess the best enantioselective properties in respect to studied flavanones. The mechanisms of their action are a little different; SCh used above critical micelle point concentration forms chiral micelles itself while gamma-CD is deprived of this property and requires addition of surfactants as, e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate. It was found that SCh enables separation of flavanone glycosides diastereomers while separation of enantiomers of flavanone aglycones may be achieved with gamma-CD. Consideration of structural relation led to the suggestion that interaction of sugar moiety of glycosides with SCh micelles give rise to chiral recognition. MEKC appeared to be a suitable and efficient analytical tool to follow enantiomeric composition of flavanones. PMID:12900864

A method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was developed for the simultaneous determination of carbendazim, imazalil, methylthiophanate, O-phenylphenol, prochloraz, procimidone, thiabendazole and triadimefon residues in grape, lettuce, orange and tomato. Selectivity and resolution were studied changing the pH and the concentration of the buffer, the type and concentration of surfactant and the methanol content in the mobile phase. A buffer consisting of 4 mM borate with 75 mM sodium cholate (pH 9.2) gave the best results. The recoveries of the fungicides in spiked fruit and vegetable samples ranged from 30 to 105%, and the limits of detection were between 0.1 and 1 mg kg(-1). The reproducibility and repeatability of the combination of SPE pretreatment and MEKC were good for all the compounds, except for imazalil and O-phenylphenol in oranges, due to some matrix compounds interfering with the separation. The method was applied to post harvest treated samples, and the fungicides were sometimes detected at concentration levels lower than maximum residue limits (MRLs). PMID:11521888

In this work, we propose a charged dissipative particle dynamics (cDPD) model for investigation of mesoscopic electrokinetic phenomena. In particular, this particle-based method was designed to simulate micro- or nano- flows which governing by Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equation coupled with Navier-Stokes (NS) equation. For cDPD simulations of wall-bounded fluid systems, a methodology for imposing correct Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions for both PNP and NS equations is developed. To validate the present cDPD model and the corresponding boundary method, we perform cDPD simulations of electrostatic double layer (EDL) in the vicinity of a charged wall, and the results show good agreement with the mean-field theoretical solutions. The capacity density of a parallel plate capacitor in salt solution is also investigated with different salt concentration. Moreover, we utilize the proposed methodology to study the electroosmotic and electroosmotic/pressure-driven flow in a micro-channel. In the last, we simulate the dilute polyelectrolyte solution both in bulk and micro-channel, which show the flexibility and capability of this method in studying complex fluids. This work was sponsored by the Collaboratory on Mathematics for Mesoscopic Modeling of Materials (CM4) supported by DOE.

The potential of electrokinetic (EK) remediation technology has been successfully demonstrated for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated fine-grained soils through laboratory scale and field application studies. Arsenic contamination in soil is a serious problem affecting both site use and groundwater quality. The EK technology was evaluated for the removal of arsenic from two soil samples; a kaolinite soil artificially contaminated with arsenic and an arsenic-bearing tailing-soil taken from the Myungbong (MB) gold mine area. The effectiveness of enhancing agents was investigated using three different types of cathodic electrolytes; deionized water (DIW), potassium phosphate (KH(2)PO(4)) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The results of the experiments on the kaolinite show that the potassium phosphate was the most effective in extracting arsenic, probably due to anion exchange of arsenic species by phosphate. On the other hand, the sodium hydroxide seemed to be the most efficient in removing arsenic from the tailing-soil. This result may be explained by the fact that the sodium hydroxide increased the soil pH and accelerated ionic migration of arsenic species through the desorption of arsenic species as well as the dissolution of arsenic-bearing minerals. PMID:16237600

CE methods have been developed for the analysis of organic and peroxide-based explosives. These methods have been developed for deployment on portable, in-field instrumentation for rapid screening. Both classes of compounds are neutral and were separated using micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The effects of sample composition, separation temperature, and background electrolyte composition were investigated. The optimised separation conditions (25 mM sodium tetraborate, 75 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate at 25°C, detection at 200 nm) were applied to the separation of 25 organic explosives in 17 min, with very high efficiency (typically greater than 300,000 plates m(-1)) and high sensitivity (LOD typically less than 0.5 mg L(-1); around 1-1.5 μM). A MEKC method was also developed for peroxide-based explosives (10 mM sodium tetraborate, 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate at 25°C, detection at 200 nm). UV detection provided LODs between 5.5 and 45.0 mg L(-1) (or 31.2-304 μM), which is comparable to results achieved using liquid chromatography. Importantly, no sample pre-treatment or post-column reaction was necessary and the peroxide-based explosives were not decomposed to hydrogen peroxide. Both MEKC methods have been applied to pre-blast analysis and for the detection of post-blast residues recovered from controlled, small scale detonations of organic and peroxide-based explosive devices. PMID:25998463

The electrokinetically modulated peristaltic transport of power-law fluids through a narrow confinement in the form of a deformable tube is investigated. The fluid is considered to be divided into two regions - a non-Newtonian core region (described by the power-law behavior) which is surrounded by a thin wall-adhering layer of Newtonian fluid. This division mimics the occurrence of a wall-adjacent cell-free skimming layer in blood samples typically handled in microfluidic transport. The pumping characteristics and the trapping of the fluid bolus are studied by considering the effect of fluid viscosities, power-law index and electroosmosis. It is found that the zero-flow pressure rise is strongly dependent on the relative viscosity ratio of the near-wall depleted fluid and the core fluid as well as on the power-law index. The effect of electroosmosis on the pressure rise is strongly manifested at lower occlusion values, thereby indicating its importance in transport modulation for weakly peristaltic flow. It is also established that the phenomenon of trapping may be controlled on-the-fly by tuning the magnitude of the electric field: the trapping vanishes as the magnitude of the electric field is increased. Similarly, the phenomenon of reflux is shown to disappear due to the action of the applied electric field. These findings may be applied for the modulation of pumping in bio-physical environments by means of external electric fields. PMID:26524260

A microfluidic switch has been demonstrated using an AC Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pumping mechanism in which the Lorentz force is used to pump an electrolytic solution. By integrating two AC MHD pumps into different arms of a Y-shaped fluidic circuit, flow can be switched between the two arms. This type of switch can be used to produce complex fluidic routing, which may have multiple applications in {micro}TAS.

The funds from this DOE grant were used to help cover the travel costs of five students and postdoctoral fellows who attended a symposium on 'Hydration: From Clusters to Aqueous Solutions' held at the Fall 2007 American Chemical Society Meeting in Boston, MA, August 19-23. The Symposium was sponsored by the Physical Chemistry Division, ACS. The technical program for the meeting is available at http://phys-acs.org/fall2007.html.

In this paper, electrokinetic potential and isoelectric point of dolomite (CaMg(CO 3) 2) and magnesite (MgCO 3) were determined. The effect of various ions such as Mg 2+, Ca 2+, Na + and CO 32- on surface properties of dolomite and magnesite were also examined. Isoelectric points of dolomite and magnesite were determined as 6.3 and 6.8, respectively, in the absence of any electrolyte. H + and OH - ions are the potential determining ions of magnesite and dolomite, as predicted by electrokinetic potential studies.

We demonstrate a nanoporous membrane device integrated with an on-chip microfluidic platform for the electrokinetic separation of biomolecules. This platform offers a thin (500 nm) film of anodized aluminum oxide directly fabricated and suspended onto a silicon substrate, assembled into a compact microfluidic device. We successfully showed the electrokinetic transport of ssDNA through the nano-porous membrane under various conditions. Size exclusive biomolecular separation driven by electric field was verified with the complex of thrombin and thrombin aptamer. This architecture enables an on-chip device for binary separation and size exclusive filtration targeted to various applications such as molecular detection and purification.

The combination of bioleaching and electrokinetics for the remediation of metal contaminated land has been investigated. In bioleaching, bacteria convert reduced sulfur compounds to sulfuric acid, acidifying soil and mobilizing metal ions. In electrokinetics, DC current acidifies soil, and mobilized metals are transported to the cathode by electromigration. When bioleaching was applied to silt soil artificially contaminated with seven metals and amended with sulfur, bacterial activity was partially inhibited and limited acidification occurred. Electrokinetic treatment of silt soil contaminated solely with 1000 mg/kg copper nitrate showed 89% removal of copper from the soil within 15 days. To combine bioleaching and electrokinetics sequentially, preliminary partial acidification was performed by amending copper-contaminated soil with sulfur (to 5% w/w) and incubating at constant moisture (30% w/w) and temperature (20 C) for 90 days. Indigenous sulfur oxidizing bacteria partially acidified the soil from pH 8.1 to 5.4. This soil was then treated by electrokinetics yielding 86% copper removal in 16 days. In the combined process, electrokinetics stimulated sulfur oxidation, by removing inhibitory factors, yielding a 5.1-fold increase in soil sulfate concentration. Preacidification by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria increased the cost-effectiveness of the electrokinetic treatment by reducing the power requirement by 66%.

Particles of clay minerals were studied due to their importance in geochemical processes in natural waters, such as adsorption and transfer of ionic contaminants, stabilization by organics, and flocculation and sedimentation phenomena. Information on the behavior of clays was sought by experiments with model systems. Measurements of electrophoretic mobilities in relation to pH, at varying concentrations of well-characterized fulvic acid (FA), were performed on two structurally well defined, representative clay minerals prepared with clean surfaces: ripidolite (a well-known trioctahedral nonswelling chlorite) and beidellite (a typical dioctahedral smectite). Natural ripidolite and beidellite show high negative electrokinetic potentials in the range pH 2 ({minus}10 and {minus}20 mV, respectively) to pH 10 ({minus}60 and {minus}50 mV, respectively). Experiments utilizing mechanical particle disintegration (dry milling), mimicking natural wear and physical weathering, resulted in increases of specific surface area (12.3 and 1.5 times, respectively) and of cation exchange capacity (3.2 and 1.2 times, respectively). Such small-sized particles, shown by SEM figures, retain their crystal structure (X ray) and the nature of their structural bonds (FTIR), exhibiting an IEP (at pH 6.0 and 3.0, respectively). This was interpreted to be the creation of positively charged edge surfaces. Exposed to fulvic acid in solutions of 10{sup {minus}3} NaCl at pH = 6.5, these new surfaces showed an increase in negative {zeta}-potential for ripidolite, and, to a smaller extent, for beidellite. In the interaction of clay mineral particles with aqueous medium, it is concluded that the degree of mechanical wear is more decisive than the type of the mineral.

Some organic contaminants can accumulate in organisms and cause irreversible damages in biological systems through direct or indirect toxic effects. In this study the feasibility of the electrokinetic (EK) process for the remediation of 17β-oestradiol (E2), 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP) and triclosan (TCS) in soils was studied in a stationary laboratory cell. The experiments were conducted using a silty loam soil (S2) at 0, 10 and 20mA and a sandy soil (S3) at 0 and 10 mA. A pH control in the anolyte reservoir (pH>13) at 10 mA was carried out using S2, too. Photo and electrodegradation experiments were also fulfilled. Results showed that EK is a viable method for the remediation of these contaminants, both through mobilization by electroosmotic flow (EOF) and electrodegradation. As EOF is very sensible to soil pH, the control in the anolyte increased EOF rate, consequently enhancing contaminants mobilization towards the cathode end. The extent of the mobilization towards the electrode end was mainly dependent on compounds solubility and octanol-water partition coefficient. In the last 24h of experiments, BPA presented the highest mobilization rate (ca. 4 μg min(-1)) with NP not being detected in the catholyte. At the end of all experiments the percentage of contaminants that remained in the soil ranged between 17 and 50 for S2, and between 27 and 48 for S3, with no statistical differences between treatments. The mass balance performed showed that the amount of contaminant not detected in the cell is similar to the quantity that potentially may suffer photo and electrodegradation. PMID:24997283

This report contains the summary of LDRD project 91312, titled ''Binary Electrokinetic Separation of Target DNA from Background DNA Primers''. This work is the first product of a collaboration with Columbia University and the Northeast BioDefense Center of Excellence. In conjunction with Ian Lipkin's lab, we are developing a technique to reduce false positive events, due to the detection of unhybridized reporter molecules, in a sensitive and multiplexed detection scheme for nucleic acids developed by the Lipkin lab. This is the most significant problem in the operation of their capability. As they are developing the tools for rapidly detecting the entire panel of hemorrhagic fevers this technology will immediately serve an important national need. The goal of this work was to attempt to separate nucleic acid from a preprocessed sample. We demonstrated the preconcentration of kilobase-pair length double-stranded DNA targets, and observed little preconcentration of 60 base-pair length single-stranded DNA probes. These objectives were accomplished in microdevice formats that are compatible with larger detection systems for sample pre-processing. Combined with Columbia's expertise, this technology would enable a unique, fast, and potentially compact method for detecting/identifying genetically-modified organisms and multiplexed rapid nucleic acid identification. Another competing approach is the DARPA funded IRIS Pharmaceutical TIGER platform which requires many hours for operation, and an 800k$ piece of equipment that fills a room. The Columbia/SNL system could provide a result in 30 minutes, at the cost of a few thousand dollars for the platform, and would be the size of a shoebox or smaller.

We provide a macroscale description of electrokinetic particle-electrode interactions at high frequencies, where chemical reactions at the electrodes are negligible. Using a thin-double-layer approximation, our starting point is the set of macroscale equations governing the “bounded” configuration comprising of a particle suspended between two electrodes, wherein the electrodes are governed by a capacitive charging condition and the imposed voltage is expressed as an integral constraint. In the large-cell limit the bounded model is transformed into an effectively equivalent “unbounded” model describing the interaction between the particle and a single electrode, where the imposed-voltage condition is manifested in a uniform field at infinity together with a Robin-type condition applying at the electrode. This condition, together with the standard no-flux condition applying at the particle surface, leads to a linear problem governing the electric potential in the fluid domain in which the dimensionless frequency ω of the applied voltage appears as a governing parameter. In the high-frequency limit ω≫1 the flow is dominated by electro-osmotic slip at the particle surface, the contribution of electrode electro-osmosis being O(ω-2) small. That simplification allows for a convenient analytical investigation of the prevailing case where the clearance between the particle and the adjacent electrode is small. Use of tangent-sphere coordinates allows to calculate the electric and flows fields as integral Hankel transforms. At large distances from the particle, along the electrode, both fields decay with the fourth power of distance.

Microsensors and micromachines that are capable of self-propulsion through fluids could revolutionize many aspects of technology. Few principles to propel such devices and supply them with energy are known. Here, we show that various types of miniature semiconductor diodes floating in water act as self-propelling particles when powered by an external alternating electric field. The millimetre-sized diodes rectify the voltage induced between their electrodes. The resulting particle-localized electro-osmotic flow propels them in the direction of either the cathode or the anode, depending on their surface charge. These rudimentary self-propelling devices can emit light or respond to light and could be controlled by internal logic. Diodes embedded in the walls of microfluidic channels provide locally distributed pumping or mixing functions powered by a global external field. The combined application of a.c. and d.c. fields in such devices allows decoupling of the velocity of the particles and the liquid and could be used for on-chip separations.

Microsensors and micromachines that are capable of self-propulsion through fluids could revolutionize many aspects of technology. Few principles to propel such devices and supply them with energy are known. Here, we show that various types of miniature semiconductor diodes floating in water act as self-propelling particles when powered by an external alternating electric field. The millimetre-sized diodes rectify the voltage induced between their electrodes. The resulting particle-localized electro-osmotic flow propels them in the direction of either the cathode or the anode, depending on their surface charge. These rudimentary self-propelling devices can emit light or respond to light and could be controlled by internal logic. Diodes embedded in the walls of microfluidic channels provide locally distributed pumping or mixing functions powered by a global external field. The combined application of a.c. and d.c. fields in such devices allows decoupling of the velocity of the particles and the liquid and could be used for on-chip separations. PMID:17293850

As a part of the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluated the In-Situ Electrokinetic Extraction (ISEE) system at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.The SITE demonstration results show that t...

This study demonstrated the highly efficient degradation of n-hexadecane in soil, realized by alternating bioremediation and electrokinetic technologies. Using an alternating technology instead of simultaneous application prevented competition between the processes that would lower their efficiency. For the consumption of the soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) necessary for bioremediation by electrokinetics, bioremediation was performed first. Because of the utilization and loss of the DOM and water-soluble ions by the microbial and electrokinetic processes, respectively, both of them were supplemented to provide a basic carbon resource, maintain a high electrical conductivity and produce a uniform distribution of ions. The moisture and bacteria were also supplemented. The optimal DOM supplement (20.5 mg·kg(-1) glucose; 80-90% of the total natural DOM content in the soil) was calculated to avoid competitive effects (between the DOM and n-hexadecane) and to prevent nutritional deficiency. The replenishment of the water-soluble ions maintained their content equal to their initial concentrations. The degradation rate of n-hexadecane was only 167.0 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) (1.9%, w/w) for the first 9 days in the treatments with bioremediation or electrokinetics alone, but this rate was realized throughout the whole process when the two technologies were alternated, with a degradation of 78.5% ± 2.0% for the n-hexadecane after 45 days of treatment. PMID:27032838

Dredged sediments contaminated by heavy metals and PAHs were subjected to both unenhanced and enhanced electrokinetic remediation under different operating conditions, obtained by varying the applied voltage and the type of conditioning agent used at the electrode compartments in individual experiments. While metals were not appreciably mobilized as a result of the unenhanced process, metal removal was found to be significantly improved when both the anodic and cathodic reservoirs were conditioned with the chelating agent EDTA, with removal yields ranging from 28% to 84% depending on the contaminant concerned. As for the effect on organic contaminants, under the conditions tested the electrokinetic treatment displayed a poor removal capacity towards PAHs, even when a surfactant (Tween 80) was used to promote contaminant mobilization, indicating the need for further investigation on this issue. Further research on organics removal from this type of materials through electrokinetic remediation is thus required. Furthermore, a number of technical and environmental issues will also require a careful evaluation with a view to full-scale implementation of electrokinetic sediment remediation. These include controlling side effects during the treatment (such as anodic precipitation, oxidation of the conditioning agent, and evolution of toxic gases), as well as evaluating the potential ecotoxicological effects of the chemical agents used. PMID:20691460

As a part of the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluated the In-Situ Electrokinetic Extraction (ISEE) system at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Batch desorption experiments and bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were performed to elucidate the electrokinetic remediation mechanisms of arsenate from artificially contaminated kaolinite. The electrokinetic experiments in which a constant voltage was applied demonstrated that high soil pH favored arsenate remediation with respect to both the remediation time and electricity consumption. It was also demonstrated that applying a pulse voltage (1 h ON, 1 h OFF) significantly improved the electricity consumption efficiency when the soil pH was maintained at the initial value during the experiments; this trend was not observed when the soil pH was gradually increased from the cathode side. These electrokinetic experimental results, with the support of arsenate desorption data obtained from batch experiments, indicate that the remediation rate-limiting step varied with soil pH. When the soil pH was maintained at the initial value of 7.2 during the experiments, arsenate desorption was the remediation rate-limiting step rather than the migration of dissolved arsenate toward the anode. Conversely, when the cathode pH was not controlled and the soil pH was correspondingly increased gradually from the cathode side, the migration of hydroxyl and desorbed arsenate ions toward the anode played a more important role in the control of the overall remediation efficiency. PMID:23643955

This study demonstrated the highly efficient degradation of n-hexadecane in soil, realized by alternating bioremediation and electrokinetic technologies. Using an alternating technology instead of simultaneous application prevented competition between the processes that would lower their efficiency. For the consumption of the soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) necessary for bioremediation by electrokinetics, bioremediation was performed first. Because of the utilization and loss of the DOM and water-soluble ions by the microbial and electrokinetic processes, respectively, both of them were supplemented to provide a basic carbon resource, maintain a high electrical conductivity and produce a uniform distribution of ions. The moisture and bacteria were also supplemented. The optimal DOM supplement (20.5 mg·kg‑1 glucose; 80–90% of the total natural DOM content in the soil) was calculated to avoid competitive effects (between the DOM and n-hexadecane) and to prevent nutritional deficiency. The replenishment of the water-soluble ions maintained their content equal to their initial concentrations. The degradation rate of n-hexadecane was only 167.0 mg·kg‑1·d‑1 (1.9%, w/w) for the first 9 days in the treatments with bioremediation or electrokinetics alone, but this rate was realized throughout the whole process when the two technologies were alternated, with a degradation of 78.5% ± 2.0% for the n-hexadecane after 45 days of treatment.

This study demonstrated the highly efficient degradation of n-hexadecane in soil, realized by alternating bioremediation and electrokinetic technologies. Using an alternating technology instead of simultaneous application prevented competition between the processes that would lower their efficiency. For the consumption of the soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) necessary for bioremediation by electrokinetics, bioremediation was performed first. Because of the utilization and loss of the DOM and water-soluble ions by the microbial and electrokinetic processes, respectively, both of them were supplemented to provide a basic carbon resource, maintain a high electrical conductivity and produce a uniform distribution of ions. The moisture and bacteria were also supplemented. The optimal DOM supplement (20.5 mg·kg−1 glucose; 80–90% of the total natural DOM content in the soil) was calculated to avoid competitive effects (between the DOM and n-hexadecane) and to prevent nutritional deficiency. The replenishment of the water-soluble ions maintained their content equal to their initial concentrations. The degradation rate of n-hexadecane was only 167.0 mg·kg−1·d−1 (1.9%, w/w) for the first 9 days in the treatments with bioremediation or electrokinetics alone, but this rate was realized throughout the whole process when the two technologies were alternated, with a degradation of 78.5% ± 2.0% for the n-hexadecane after 45 days of treatment. PMID:27032838

An electroosmotic (EO) actuator offers a low-power, low-voltage alternative in a diaphragm-based periodic displacement micropump intended for an implantable drug delivery system. The actuator utilizes an electroosmosis mechanism to transport liquid across a membrane to deflect the pumping diaphragms in a reciprocating manner. In the study, the membrane made of porous nanocrystalline silicon (pnc-Si) tens of nanometers in thickness was used as the promising EO generator with low power consumption and small package size. This ultrathin membrane provides the opportunity for electrode integration such that the very high electric field can be generated across the membrane with the applied potential under 1 volt for low flow rate applications like drug delivery. Due to such a low applied voltage, the challenge, however, imposes on the capability of generating the pumping pressure high enough to deflect the pumping diaphragms and overcome the back pressure normally encountered in the biological tissue and organ. This research identified the cause of weak pumping pressure that the electric field inside the orifice-like nanopores of the ultrathin membrane is weaker than conventional theory would predict. It no longer scales uniformly with the thickness of membrane, but with the pore length-to-diameter aspect ratio for each nanopore. To enhance the pumping performance, the pnc-Si membrane was coated with an ultrathin Nafion film. As a result, the induced concentration difference across the Nafion film generates the osmotic pressure against the back pressure allowing the EO actuator to maintain the target pumping flow rate under 1 volt.

The anatomical and pharmacological inaccessibility of the inner ear is a major challenge in drug-based treatment of auditory disorders. This also makes pharmacokinetic characterization of new drugs with systemic delivery challenging, because efficacy is coupled with how efficiently a drug can reach its target. Direct delivery of drugs to cochlear fluids bypasses pharmacokinetic barriers and helps to minimize systemic toxicity, but anatomical barriers make administration of multiple doses difficult without an automated delivery system. Such a system may be required for hair-cell regeneration treatments, which will likely require timed delivery of several drugs. To address these challenges, we have developed a micropump for controlled, automated inner-ear drug delivery with the ultimate goal of producing a long-term implantable/wearable delivery system. The current pump is designed to be used with a head mount for guinea pigs in preclinical drug characterization experiments. In this system, we have addressed several microfluidic challenges, including maintaining controlled delivery at safe, low flow rates and delivering drug without increasing the volume of fluid in the cochlea. By integrating a drug reservoir and all fluidic components into the microfluidic structure of the pump, we have made the drug delivery system robust compared to previous systems that utilized separate, tubing-connected components. In this study, we characterized the pump's unique infuse-withdraw and on-demand dosing capabilities on the bench and in guinea pig animal models. For the animal experiments, we used DNQX, a glutamate receptor antagonist, as a physiological indicator of drug delivery. DNQX suppresses compound action potentials (CAPs), so we were able to infer the distribution and spreading of the DNQX over time by measuring the changes in CAPs in response to stimuli at several characteristic frequencies. PMID:26778829

The AC dipole is an oscillating dipole magnet which can induce large amplitude oscillations without the emittance growth and decoherence. These properties make it a good tool to measure optics of a hadron synchrotron. The vertical AC dipole for the Tevatron is powered by an inexpensive high power audio amplifier since its operating frequency is approximately 20 kHz. The magnet is incorporated into a parallel resonant system to maximize the current. The use of a vertical pinger magnet which has been installed in the Tevatron made the cost relatively inexpensive. Recently, the initial system was upgraded with a more powerful amplifier and oscillation amplitudes up to 2-3{sigma} were achieved with the 980 GeV proton beam. This paper discusses details of the Tevatron AC dipole system and also shows its test results.

The manipulation of biomolecules, fluid and ionic current in a new breed of integrated nanofluidic devices requires a quantitative understanding of electrokinetics at the silica/water interface. The conventional capacitor-based electrokinetic Electric Double Layer (EDL) models for this interface have some known shortcomings, as evidenced by a lack of consistency within the literature for the (i) equilibrium constants of surface silanol groups, (ii) Stern layer capacitance, (iii) zeta (ζ) potential measured by various electrokinetic methods, and (iv) surface conductivity. In this study, we consider how the experimentally observable viscoelectric effect - that is, the increase of the local viscosity due to the polarisation of polar solvents - affects electrokinetcs at the silica/water interface. Specifically we consider how a model that considers viscoelectric effects (the VE model) performs against two conventional electrokinetic models, namely the Gouy-Chapman (GC) and Basic Stern capacitance (BS) models, in predicting four fundamental electrokinetic phenomena: electrophoresis, electroosmosis, streaming current and streaming potential. It is found that at moderate to high salt concentrations (>5×10(-3)M) predictions from the VE model are in quantitative agreement with experimental electrokinetic measurements when the sole additional adjustable parameter, the viscoelectric coefficient, is set equal to a value given by a previous independent measurement. In contrast neither the GS nor BS models is able to reproduce all experimental data over the same concentration range using a single, robust set of parameters. Significantly, we also show that the streaming current and potential in the moderate to high surface charge range are insensitive to surface charge behaviour (including capacitances) when viscoelectric effects are considered, in difference to models that do not consider these effects. This strongly questions the validity of using pressure based

Electrokinetic remediation is an emerging technology that can be used to remove contaminants from soils and sediments. This technique relies on the application of a low-intensity electric field to extract heavy metals, radionuclides and some organic compounds. When the electric field is applied three main transport processes occur in the porous medium: electromigration, electroosmosis and electrophoresis. Monitoring of electrokinetic processes in laboratory and field is usually conducted by means of point measurements and by collecting samples from discrete locations. Geophysical methods can be very effective in obtaining high spatial and temporal resolution mapping for an adequate control of the electrokinetic processes. This study investigates the suitability of electrokinetic remediation for extracting heavy metals from dredged marine sediments and the possibility of using geophysical methods to monitor the remediation process. Among the geophysical methods, the spectral induced polarization technique was selected because of its capability to provide valuable information about the physico-chemical characteristics of the porous medium. Electrokinetic remediation experiments in laboratory scale were made under different operating conditions, obtained by varying the strength of the applied electric field and the type of conditioning agent used at the electrode compartments in each experiment. Tap water, 0.1M citric acid and 0.1M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) solutions were used respectively as processing fluids. Metal removal was relevant when EDTA was used as conditioning agent and the electric potential was increased, as these two factors promoted the electroosmotic flow which is considered to be the key transport mechanism. The removal efficiencies ranged from 9.5% to 27% depending on the contaminant concerned. These percentages are likely to be raised by a further increase of the applied electric field. Furthermore, spectral induced polarization

Test data are presented and the design of a high-efficiency motor/generator controller at NASA-Lewis for use with the Space Station power system testbed is described. The bidirectional motor driver is a 20 kHz to variable frequency three-phase ac converter that operates from the high-frequency ac bus being designed for the Space Station. A zero-voltage-switching pulse-density-modulation technique is used in the converter to shape the low-frequency output waveform.

In this work, a simple, economic, and miniaturized flow-based analyzer based on solenoid micropumps is presented. It was applied to determine two parameters of high environmental interest: ammonium and total inorganic carbon (TIC) in natural waters. The method is based on gas diffusion (GD) of CO₂ and NH3 through a hydrophobic gas permeable membrane from an acidic or alkaline donor stream, respectively. The analytes are trapped in an acceptor solution, being slightly alkaline for CO₂ and slightly acidic for NH₃. The analytes are quantified using a homemade stainless steel conductimetric cell. The proposed system required five solenoid micro-pumps, one for each reagent and sample. Two especially made air bubble traps were placed down-stream of the solendoid pumps, which provided the acceptor solutions, by this increasing the method's reproducibility. Values of RSD lower than 1% were obtained. Achieved limits of detection were 0.27 µmol L⁻¹ for NH₄⁺ and 50 µmol L⁻¹ for TIC. Add-recovery tests were used to prove the trueness of the method and recoveries of 99.5 ± 7.5% were obtained for both analytes. The proposed system proved to be adequate for monitoring purpose of TIC and NH₄⁺ due to its high sample throughput and repeatability. PMID:24274287

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was used for the trace analysis of phenoxy acid herbicides. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with LIF detection, which has not previously been used for pesticide analysis, overcomes the po...

This contribution provides a brief introduction to AC/RF superconductivity, with an emphasis on application to accelerators. The topics covered include the surface impedance of normal conductors and superconductors, the residual resistance, the field dependence of the surface resistance, and the superheating field.

An AC solar cell is described comprising: a pair of PN junction type solar cells connected in antiparallel between a pair of main terminals; and means for electrically directing light alternatingly without mechanical movement on the PN junctions to generate an alternating potential across the main terminals.

Live footage of the Unmanned Atlas Centaur (AC) 67 launch is presented on March 26, 1987 at the WESH television station in Florida. Lightning is shown after 49 seconds into the flight. The vehicle is totally destroyed due to a cloud-to-ground lightning flash.

Advances in micro-fabrication processes have generated tremendous interests in miniaturizing chemical and biomedical analyses into integrated microsystems (Lab-on-Chip devices). To successfully design and operate the micro fluidics system, it is essential to understand the fundamental fluid flow phenomena when channel sizes are shrink to micron or even nano dimensions. One important phenomenon is the electro kinetic effect in micro/nano channels due to the existence of the electrical double layer (EDL) near a solid-liquid interface. Not only EDL is responsible for electro-osmosis pumping when an electric field parallel to the surface is imposed, EDL also causes extra flow resistance (the electro-viscous effect) and flow anomaly (such as early transition from laminar to turbulent flow) observed in pressure-driven microchannel flows. Modeling and simulation of electro-kinetic effects on micro flows poses significant numerical challenge due to the fact that the sizes of the double layer (10 nm up to microns) are very thin compared to channel width (can be up to 100 s of m). Since the typical thickness of the double layer is extremely small compared to the channel width, it would be computationally very costly to capture the velocity profile inside the double layer by placing sufficient number of grid cells in the layer to resolve the velocity changes, especially in complex, 3-d geometries. Existing approaches using "slip" wall velocity and augmented double layer are difficult to use when the flow geometry is complicated, e.g. flow in a T-junction, X-junction, etc. In order to overcome the difficulties arising from those two approaches, we have developed a sub-grid integration method to properly account for the physics of the double layer. The integration approach can be used on simple or complicated flow geometries. Resolution of the double layer is not needed in this approach, and the effects of the double layer can be accounted for at the same time. With this

While the feasibility of using electrokinetics to decontaminate soils has been studied by several authors, the effects of soil composition on the efficiency of this method of decontamination has yet to be fully studied. This study focuses its attention on the effect of "calcite or carbonate" (CaCO(3)) on removal efficiency in electrokinetic soil remediation. Bench scale experiments were conducted on two soils: kaolinite and natural-soil of a landfill in Hamedan, Iran. Prescribed quantities of carbonates were mixed with these soils which were subsequently contaminated with zinc nitrate. After that, electrokinetic experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of electrokinetic remediation. The results showed that an increase in the quantity of carbonate caused a noticeable increase on the contaminant retention of soil and on the resistance of soil to the contaminant removal by electrokinetic method. Because the presence of carbonates in the soil increases its buffering capacity, acidification is reduced, resulting in a decrease in the rate of heavy metal removed from the contaminant soil. This conclusion was validated by the evaluation of efficiency of electrokinetic method on a soil sample from the liner of a waste disposal site, with 28% carbonates. PMID:19733966

Electrokinetic remediation of metal-contaminated soils is strongly affected by soil-type and chemical species of contaminants. This paper investigates the speciation and extent of migration of heavy metals in soils during electrokinetic remediation. Laboratory electrokinetic experiments were conducted using two diverse soils, kaolin and glacial till, contaminated with chromium as either Cr(III) or Cr(VI). Initial total chromium concentrations were maintained at 1000mg/kg. In addition, Ni(II) and Cd(II) were used in concentrations of 500 and 250mg/kg, respectively. The contaminated soils were subjected to a voltage gradient of 1 VDC/cm for over 200h. The extent of migration of contaminants after the electric potential application was determined. Sequential extractions were performed on the contaminated soils before and after electrokinetic treatment to provide an understanding of the distribution of the contaminants in the soils. The initial speciation of contaminants was found to depend on the soil composition as well as the type and amounts of different contaminants present. When the initial form of chromium was Cr(III), exchangeable and soluble fractions of Cr, Ni, and Cd ranged from 10 to 65% in kaolin; however, these fractions ranged from 0 to 4% in glacial till. When the initial form of chromium was Cr(VI), the exchangeable and soluble fractions of Cr, Ni and Cd ranged from 66 to 80% in kaolin. In glacial till, however, the exchangeable and soluble fraction for Cr was 38% and Ni and Cd fractions were 2 and 10%, respectively. The remainder of the contaminants existed as the complex and precipitate fractions. During electrokinetic remediation, Cr(VI) migrated towards the anode, whereas Cr(III), Ni(II) and Cd(II) migrated towards the cathode. The speciation of contaminants after electrokinetic treatment showed that significant change in exchangeable and soluble fractions occurred. In kaolin, exchangeable and soluble Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II) decreased near the

A detection method that combines electric field-assisted virus capture on antibody-decorated surfaces with the “fingerprinting” capabilities of micro-Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated for the case of M13 virus in water. The proof-of-principle surface mapping of model bioparticles (protein coated polystyrene spheres) captured by an AC electric field between planar microelectrodes is presented with a methodology for analyzing the resulting spectra by comparing relative peak intensities. The same principle is applied to dielectrophoretically captured M13 phage particles whose presence is indirectly confirmed with micro-Raman spectroscopy using NeutrAvidin-Cy3 as a labeling molecule. It is concluded that the combination of electrokinetically driven virus sampling and micro-Raman based signal transduction provides a promising approach for time-efficient and in situ detection of viruses. PMID:25580902

This paper reports on the design and simulation of a new valve-less pump for use in microfluidic applications. The simple-structure micropump comprises a piezoelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) - Si diaphragm and flow channels which are fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques. The silicon diaphragm (5×5×0.05mm 3) is driven by the PZT (45-μm thick) actuator that has quick response time and large driving force with low power consumption. A key technology to realize the pump diaphragm is the PZT-Si bonding process using a thin gold film as an intermediate layer. Under fabrication conditions of 550°C and 0.8 MPa, the strength of the bonding was experimentally validated to be 13 MPa. The maximum displacement of the diaphragm was measured to be 3 μm 0-P with driving voltage of 30 V p-p at resonance frequency of 10 kHz. Structural analysis of the diaphragm was done in terms of three-dimensional model using commercial software ANSYS. The flow channels are easily fabricated by silicon etching process. Design of flow channels focused on a cross junction formed by neck of the pump chamber, one outlet and two opposite inlet channels. This structure allows a difference in fluidic resistance and fluidic momentum to be created inside the channels during each pump vibration cycle. Two designs of the devices which have different channel depths, namely type A and type B, was investigated. Flow simulation was done by numerical transient model (using ANSYS-Fluent), in which only the measured deformation of the PZT diagram is applied and therefore no other assumptions are required. The results showed that the mass flow rate of the type A is 0.129×10 -6 kg/s (mean flow rate of 6.3 ml/min) and that of type B is 1.65×10 -6 kg/s (mean flow rate of 80.8 ml/min).

Transient disturbances are what headaches are made of. Whatever you call them-spikes, surges, are power bumps-they can take your equipment down and leave you with a complicated and expensive repair job. Protection against transient disturbances is a science that demands attention to detail. This book explains how the power distribution system works, what can go wrong with it, and how to protect a facility against abnormalities. system grounding and shielding are covered in detail. Each major method of transient protection is analyzed and its relative merits discussed. The book provides a complete look at the critical elements of the ac power system. Provides a complete look at the ac power system from generation to consumption. Discusses the mechanisms that produce transient disturbances and how to protect against them. Presents diagrams to facilitate system design. Covers new areas, such as the extent of the transient disturbance problem, transient protection options, and stand-by power systems.

The focus of this research is to model and provide a simulation framework for the packing of differently sized spheres within a hard boundary. The novel contributions of this dissertation are the cylinders of influence (COI) method and sectoring method implementations. The impetus for this research stems from modeling electrokinetic nanoparticle (EN) treatment, which packs concrete pores with differently sized nanoparticles. We show an improved speed of the simulation compared to previously published results of EN treatment simulation while obtaining similar porosity reduction results. We mainly focused on readily, commercially available particle sizes of 2 nm and 20 nm particles, but have the capability to model other sizes. Our simulation has graphical capabilities and can provide additional data unobtainable from physical experimentation. The data collected has a median of 0.5750 and a mean of 0.5504. The standard error is 0.0054 at alpha = 0.05 for a 95% confidence interval of 0.5504 +/- 0.0054. The simulation has produced maximum packing densities of 65% and minimum packing densities of 34%. Simulation data are analyzed using linear regression via the R statistical language to obtain two equations: one that describes porosity reduction based on all cylinder and particle characteristics, and another that focuses on describing porosity reduction based on cylinder diameter for 2 and 20 nm particles into pores of 100 nm height. Simulation results are similar to most physical results obtained from MIP and WLR. Some MIP results do not fall within the simulation limits; however, this is expected as MIP has been documented to be an inaccurate measure of pore distribution and porosity of concrete. Despite the disagreement between WLR and MIP, there is a trend that porosity reduction is higher two inches from the rebar as compared to the rebar-concrete interface. The simulation also detects a higher porosity reduction further from the rebar. This may be due to particles

This report describes a laboratory-scale study, in which electrokinetic migration technology was used to remove chromium and uranium, as well as other ions, from soil taken from a bore hole adjacent to the 904-A trench at the Savannah River Technology Center. Imposition of an electric current on humid (not saturated) soil successfully caused cations to migrate through the pore water of the soil to the cathode, where they were captured in an ISOLOCKTm polymer matrix and in a cation exchange resin incorporated in the polymer. Chemicals circulated through the anode/polymer and cathode/polymer were able to control pH excursions in the electrokinetic-cells by reacting with the H[sup +] and OH[sup [minus

The electrokinetic remediation of soils is described. The effect of pore fluid properties on the surface charge of clays was examined. Zeta potential results indicate that the electro-osmotic efficiency (flow/voltage ratio) in bentonite should be relatively insensitive to pH and ionic strength variations. The zeta potential of kaolinite, however, was found to be quite sensitive to pH. The electro-osmotic efficiency for kaolinite was found to be equally sensitive to pH. Zeta potential results further indicate that the electro-osmotic efficiency as well as the direction of electroosmosis in kaolinite will be impacted dramatically by the presence of metal cations. These results suggest that zeta potential measurements could be used to study the impact on electro osmotic efficiency of initial site conditions as well as conditions expected during an electrokinetic remediation process.

This work is focused on the analysis of the effect of basic physicochemical aspects (surface thermodynamic and electrokinetic characteristics) on the stability and redispersibility properties of mebendazole aqueous suspensions. To our knowledge, previous investigations on the formulation of mebendazole suspensions have been not devoted to the elucidation of the colloidal behavior of this benzimidazole carbamate. A deep thermodynamic and electrokinetic characterization, considering the effect of both pH and ionic strength, was carried out with that purpose. It was found that the hydrophobicity and, the surface charge and electrical double layer thickness of the drug play a significant role in the stability of the colloid. Mebendazole aqueous suspensions display a controllable "delayed" or "hindered" sedimentation and a very easy redispersion which may contribute to the formulation of veterinary liquid dosage forms. PMID:20435113

We designed a new downhole electrokinetic logging tool based on numerical simulations and petrophysical experiments. Acoustic and electric receivers cannot be arranged at the same depth, and the proposed composite electrokinetic logging tool offers a solution to this problem. The sound field characteristics of the detectors were tested in a water tank in the laboratory. Then, we calculated the sound pressure of the radiated acoustic field and the transmitting voltage response of the transmitting transducers; in addition, we analyzed the directivity and application of the acoustic transmitting probe based on linear phased array. The results suggest that the sound pressure generated at 1500 mm spacing reaches up to 47.2 kPa and decreases with increasing acoustic source frequency. When the excitation signals delay time of adjacent acoustic transmitting subarrays increases, the radiation beam of the main lobe is deflected and its energy gradually increases, which presumably enhances the acoustoelectric conversion efficiency.

Ion transport through nanochannels depends on various external driving forces as well as the structural and hydrodynamic inhomogeneity of the confined fluid inside of the pore. Conventional models of electrokinetic transport neglect the discrete nature of ionic species and electrostatic correlations important at the boundary and often lead to inconsistent predictions of the surface potential and the surface charge density. Here, we demonstrate that the electrokinetic phenomena can be successfully described by the classical density functional theory in conjunction with the Navier-Stokes equation for the fluid flow. The new theoretical procedure predicts ion conductivity in various pH-regulated nanochannels under different driving forces, in excellent agreement with experimental data. PMID:26278253

Electrokinetic transport in nanochannels grafted with polyelectrolyte (PE) brushes is important for applications such as ion transport, ion manipulation, flow valving, etc. We discuss here a semi-analytical mean field theory approach to study electrokinetic transport in nanochannels grafted with polyelectrolyte brushes with end-charging. The model first probes the thermodynamics and the electrostatics of the PE brushes by appropriately accounting for the entropic (elastic), excluded volume, and electrostatic effects. The resulting knowledge on the electrostatic potential and the PE configuration is next used to obtain the electroosmotic transport. Results demonstrate the role of surface charges (at the end of the PE brushes) in modifying (shrinking or swelling) the brush height. This, in turn, alters the electroosmotic body force and the PE brush layer induced drag force on the fluid flow; therefore, the flow field eventually evolves from a non-trivial interplay of the PE electrostatic, entropic, and excluded volume effects.

We recently demonstrated the direct observation of micro-electrokinetic turbulence in a microchannel at a low Reynolds number (Re) when a pressure-driven flow was forced electrokinetically. Here, we characterize the corresponding scalar turbulence and surprisingly find that the corresponding turbulent mixing has some typical and important features of scalar turbulence, such as the Obukhov-Corrsin (O-C) -5/3 spectrum of concentration fluctuation, which can commonly be realized only at high Re in macroflows. This discovery could provide a new perspective of scalar turbulence and an avenue for control of transport phenomena in lab-on-a-chip platforms. This will deepen our fundamental understanding of transport phenomena in microfluidics. PMID:26887934

An electrokinetic phenomenon is reported here which differs from its classical counterparts most distinctively by nonlinear conductivity and mobility. Neither purely electrolytic nor electrostatic in nature, this phenomenon is presumed to involve subtle charge transfer effects and association reactions permitting a controlled "chemoelectric" mobilization. In its electrokinetic manifestation, this phenomenon can be used to mobilize chemical species commonly with migration rates orders of magnitude greater than can be achieved electrophoretically and is shown to induce the movement of nonpolar molecules, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, at rates exceeding several centimeters per minute in easily achievable voltage gradients. The operational technique, developed as a separations method used for demonstrating the effect, is called "electromolecular propulsion". Images PMID:6952183

A new numerical model is presented that simulates groundwater flow and multi-species reactive transport under hydraulic and electrical gradients. Coupled into the existing, reactive transport model PHT3D, the model was verified against published analytical and experimental studies, and has applications in remediation cases where the geochemistry plays an important role. A promising method for remediation of low-permeability aquifers is the electrokinetic transport of amendments for in situ chemical oxidation. Numerical modelling showed that amendment injection resulted in the voltage gradient adjacent to the cathode decreasing below a linear gradient, producing a lower achievable concentration of the amendment in the medium. An analytical method is derived to estimate the achievable amendment concentration based on the inlet concentration. Even with low achievable concentrations, analysis showed that electrokinetic remediation is feasible due to its ability to deliver a significantly higher mass flux in low-permeability media than under a hydraulic gradient.

The discharge from the dyeing industries constitutes unfixed dyes, inorganic salts, heavy metal complexes etc., which spoil the surrounding areas of industrial sites. The present article reports the use of direct current electrokinetic technique for the treatment of textile contaminated soil. Impressed direct current voltage of 20 V facilitates the dye/metal ions movement in the naturally available dye contaminated soil towards the opposite electrode by electromigration. IrO2–RuO2–TiO2/Ti was used as anode and Ti used as cathode. UV–Visible spectrum reveals that higher dye intensity was nearer to the anode. Ni, Cr and Pb migration towards the cathode and migration of Cu, SO42− and Cl− towards anode were noticed. Chemical oxygen demand in soil significantly decreased upon employing electrokinetic. This technology may be exploited for faster and eco-friendly removal of dye in soil environment. PMID:25461934

The seminal work of Jorgenson in 1981 ushered in the modern era of capillary electrophoresis (CE). Since that time, research activities involving capillary electrokinetic methods of separation have grown exponentially. Numerous conferences, symposia, monographs, and dedicated journals attest to the maturing of these techniques. While many of the obvious approaches have been explored, and instrumentation is reasonably well-developed, the full potential of CE has clearly not yet been reached. Moreover, CE techniques are not universally accepted as desirable alternatives to traditional chromatographic and electrophoretic methods of separation. Thus, it is likely that research into various aspects of capillary electrokinetic separations will continue at a torrid pace for at least the remainder of this decade.

We discover a nonlinear coupling between the hydrophobicity of a charged substrate and electrokinetic pumping in narrow fluidic confinements. Our analyses demonstrate that the effective electrokinetic transport in nanochannels may get massively amplified over a regime of bare surface potentials and may subsequently get attenuated beyond a threshold surface charging condition because of a complex interplay between reduced hydrodynamic resistance on account of the spontaneous inception of a less dense interfacial phase and ionic transport within the electrical double layer. We also show that the essential physics delineated by our mesoscopic model, when expressed in terms of a simple mathematical formula, agrees remarkably with that portrayed by molecular dynamics simulations. The nontrivial characteristics of the initial increment followed by a decrement of the effective zeta potential with a bare surface potential may open up the realm of hitherto-unexplored operating regimes of electrohydrodynamically actuated nanofluidic devices.

This work field tested the use of electrokinetics for delivery of concrete sealing nanoparticles concurrent with the extraction of chlorides. Several cylinders of concrete were batched and placed in immersion at the Kennedy Space Center Beach Corrosion Test Site. The specimens were batched with steel reinforcement and a 4.5 wt.% (weight percent) content of sodium chloride. Upon arrival at Kennedy Space Center, the specimens were placed in the saltwater immersion pool at the Beach Corrosion Test Site. Following 30 days of saltwater exposure, the specimens were subjected to rapid chloride extraction concurrent with electrokinetic nanoparticle treatment. The treatments were operated at up to eight times the typical current density in order to complete the treatment in 7 days. The findings indicated that the short-term corrosion resistance of the concrete specimens was significantly enhanced as was the strength of the concrete.

Synthesis of PEGylated proteins results in a mixture of protein-polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugates and the unreacted native protein. From a ribonuclease A (RNase A) PEGylation reaction, mono-PEGylated RNase A (mono-PEG RNase A) has proven therapeutic effects against cancer, reason for which there is an interest in isolating it from the rest of the reaction products. Experimental trapping of PEGylated RNase A inside an electrokinetically driven microfluidic device has been previously demonstrated. Now, from a theoretical point of view, we have studied the electrokinetic phenomena involved in the dielectrophoretic streaming of the native RNase A protein and the trapping of the mono-PEG RNase A inside a microfluidic channel. To accomplish this, we used two 3D computational models, a sphere and an ellipse, adapted to each protein. The effect of temperature on parameters related to trapping was also studied. A temperature increase showed to rise the electric and thermal conductivities of the suspending solution, hindering dielectrophoretic trapping. In contrast, the dynamic viscosity of the suspending solution decreased as the temperature rose, favoring the dielectrophoretic manipulation of the proteins. Also, our models were able to predict the magnitude and direction of the velocity of both proteins indicating trapping for the PEGylated conjugate or no trapping for the native protein. In addition, a parametric sweep study revealed the effect of the protein zeta potential on the electrokinetic response of the protein. We believe this work will serve as a tool to improve the design of electrokinetically driven microfluidic channels for the separation and recovery of PEGylated proteins in one single step. PMID:27375815

This study has considered the reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), to trivalent chromium, Cr(III), by electrokinetically introducing a reducing agent such as ferrous iron, Fe(II), to the contaminated soil medium. The experimental results obtained from this study will be used to develop an electrochemical model using the theory and principles of the Nernst equation to estimate the chromium concentrations remaining in the contaminated soils.

Electrokinetic remediation (also known as electrokinetics) is a promising technology for removing metals from fine-grained soils. However, few studies have been conducted regarding the transport behavior of multi-metals during electrokinetics. We investigated the transport of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn from soils during electrokinetics, the metal fractionation before and after electrokinetics, the relationships between metal transport and fractionation, and the effects of electrolyte conditioning. The main transport mechanisms of the metals were electroosmosis and electromigration during the first two weeks and electromigration during the following weeks. The direction of electroosmotic flow was from the anode to the cathode, and the metals in the dissolved and reducible-oxides fractions were transported to the anode or cathode by electromigration according to the chemical speciation of the metal ions in the pore water. Moreover, a portion of the metals that were initially in the residual fraction transitioned to the reducible and soluble fractions during electrokinetic treatment. However, this alteration was slow and resulted in decreasing metal removal rates as the electrokinetic treatment progressed. In addition, the use of NaOH, H3PO4, and Na2SO4 as electrolytes resulted in conditions that favored the precipitation of metal hydroxides, phosphates, and sulfates in the soil. These results demonstrated that metal removal was affected by the initial metal fractionation, metal speciation in the pore solution, and the physical-chemical parameters of the electrolytes, such as pH and electrolyte composition. Therefore, the treatment time, use of chemicals, and energy consumption could be reduced by optimizing pretreatment and by choosing appropriate electrolytes for the target metals. PMID:24972074

Many DOE facilities have unsaturated soils contaminated with metals and organic solvents. Because of the large volumes, in situ remediation is often the most economically attractive remediation technique. The success of many in situ treatment technologies depends critically on the degree to which the movement of water and desired ions can be engineered in the vadose zone. Bioremediation efforts in the vadose zone are limited by the ability to provide moisture and nutrients to contaminant-metabolizing microorganisms. An in situ electrokinetic remediation process has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for use in unsaturated soils, and is presently undergoing field demonstration. The electrokinetic process is not limited by low soil permeabilities and, therefore, provides a level of control not achievable by hydraulic means. Moisture is added to the subsurface in a controlled fashion such that the field capacity is never exceeded, preventing the unwanted mobilization of dissolved contaminants by saturated wetting fronts. The Sandia electrokinetic process can potentially transport both water and nutrients for bioremediation efforts and is compatible with vapor phase in situ techniques such as bioventing. The approach should as bioventing. The approach should lend itself to the directed transport of biodegradable chelating agents and complexed metals from contaminated soils.

This report describes a laboratory-scale study, in which electrokinetic migration technology was used to remove chromium and uranium, as well as other ions, from soil taken from a bore hole adjacent to the 904-A trench at the Savannah River Technology Center. Imposition of an electric current on humid (not saturated) soil successfully caused cations to migrate through the pore water of the soil to the cathode, where they were captured in an ISOLOCKTm polymer matrix and in a cation exchange resin incorporated in the polymer. Chemicals circulated through the anode/polymer and cathode/polymer were able to control pH excursions in the electrokinetic-cells by reacting with the H{sup +} and OH{sup {minus}} generated at the anode and cathode, respectively. The study indicates that ions adsorbed on the surface of the soil as well as those in the pores of soil particles can be caused to migrate through the soil to an appropriate electrode. After 10 days of operation at 20--25 V and 2 mA, approximately 65% of the chromium was removed from two 3.5 kg soil samples. A 57% removal of uranium was achieved. The study shows that electrokinetic migration, using the ISOLOCK{trademark} polymer will be effective as an in situ treatment method for the removal of metal ion contaminants in soil adjacent to the 904-A trench.

Electrokinetic supercharging is one of the most powerful sample-stacking methods that combines field amplified sample injection and transient ITP. In counter-flow electrokinetic supercharging, a constant counter pressure is applied during sample injection in order to counterbalance the movement of the injected sample zone. As a result, there will be a pronounced increase in the amount of sample injected and the portion of the capillary available for electrophoresis. In this report, counter-flow electrokinetic supercharging optimization factors such as the electric field application in the constant voltage and constant current modes, the magnitude of counter pressure, and the terminating electrolyte concentrations were investigated. The enrichments obtained with a 30 min injection of 10 nM catecholamines in 5 mM terminating electrolyte solution in the constant voltage mode applying a counter pressure of 1.3 psi were 41,000-fold for dopamine, 50,000-fold for norepinephrine, and 32,000-fold for epinephrine, yielding detection limits of 1.3, 1.4, and 1.2 nM, respectively, with absorbance detection at 200 nm. PMID:23568890

The main theme of the present work is to investigate the electrokinetic effects on liquid flow and heat transfer in a flat microchannel of two parallel plates under asymmetric boundary conditions including wall-sliding motion, unequal zeta potentials, and unequal heat fluxes on two walls. Based on the Debye-Huckel approximation, an electrical potential solution to the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation is obtained and employed in the analysis. The analytic solutions of the electrical potential, velocity distributions, streaming potential, friction coefficient, temperature distribution, and heat transfer rate are obtained, and thereby the effects of electrokinetic separation distance (K), zeta-potential level (zeta;(1)), ratio of two zeta potentials (r(zeta) identical with zeta;(2)/zeta;(1)), wall-sliding velocity (u(w)), and heat flux ratio (r(q) identical with q"(2)/q"(1)) are investigated. The present results reveal the effects of wall-sliding and zeta-potential ratio on the hydrodynamic nature of microchannel flow, and they are used to provide physical interpretations for the resultant electrokinetic effects and the underlying electro-hydrodynamic interaction mechanisms. In the final part the results of potential and velocity fields are applied in solving the energy equation. The temperature distributions and heat transfer characteristics under the asymmetrical kinematic, electric, and thermal boundary conditions considered presently are dealt with. PMID:12927184

We have conducted uncertainty quantification (UQ) for electrokinetic transport of ionic species through a hybrid microfluidic system using different probabilistic techniques. The system of interest is an H-configuration consisting of two parallel microchannels that are connected via a nafion junction. This system is commonly used for ion preconcentration and stacking by utilizing a nonlinear response at the channel-nafion junction that leads to deionization shocks. In this work, the nafion medium is modeled as many parallel nano-pores where, the nano-pore diameter, nafion porosity, and surface charge density are independent random variables. We evaluated the resulting uncertainty on the ion concentration fields as well as the deionization shock location. The UQ methods predicted consistent statistics for the outputs and the results revealed that the shock location is weakly sensitive to the nano-pore surface charge and primarily driven by nano-pore diameters. The present study can inform the design of electrokinetic networks with increased robustness to natural manufacturing variability. Applications include water desalination and lab-on-a-chip systems. Shima is a graduate student in the department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. She received her Master's degree from Stanford in 2011. Her research interests include Electrokinetics in porous structures and high performance computing.

The suitability of electrokinetic remediation for removing heavy metals from dredged marine sediments with high acid buffering capacity was investigated. Laboratory-scale electrokinetic remediation experiments were carried out by applying two different voltage gradients to the sediment (0.5 and 0.8 V/cm) while circulating water or two different chelating agents at the electrode compartments. Tap water, 0.1 M citric acid and 0.1 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solutions were used respectively. The investigated metals were Zn, Pb, V, Ni and Cu. In the unenhanced experiment, the acid front could not propagate due to the high acid buffering capacity of the sediments; the production of OH(-) ions at the cathode resulted in a high-pH environment causing the precipitation of CaCO3 and metal hydroxides. The use of citric acid prevented the formation of precipitates, but solubilisation and mobilisation of metal species were not sufficiently achieved. Metal removal was relevant when EDTA was used as the conditioning agent, and the electric potential was raised up to 0.8 V/cm. EDTA led to the formation of negatively charged complexes with metals which migrated towards the anode compartment by electromigration. This result shows that metal removal from sediments with high acid buffering capacity may be achieved by enhancing the electrokinetic process by EDTA addition when the acidification of the medium is not economically and/or environmentally sustainable. PMID:26490900

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of enhanced bioremediation coupling with electrokinetic process for promoting the growth of intrinsic microorganisms and removing phthalate esters (PAEs) from river sediment by adding an oxygen releasing compound (ORC). Test results are given as follows: Enhanced removal of PAEs was obtained by electrokinetics, through which the electroosmotic flow would render desorption of organic pollutants from sediment particles yielding an increased bioavailability. It was also found that the ORC injected into the sediment compartment not only would alleviate the pH value variation due to acid front and base front, but would be directly utilized as the carbon source and oxygen source for microbial growth resulting in an enhanced degradation of organic pollutants. However, injection of the ORC into the anode compartment could yield a lower degree of microbial growth due to the loss of ORC during the transport by EK. Through the analysis of molecular biotechnology it was found that both addition of an ORC and application of an external electric field can be beneficial to the growth of intrinsic microbial and abundance of microflora. In addition, the sequencing result showed that PAEs could be degraded by the following four strains: Flavobacterium sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Rhodococcus sp. The above findings confirm that coupling of enhanced bioremediation and electrokinetic process could be a viable remediation technology to treat PAEs-contaminated river sediment. PMID:26733014

An enhanced electrokinetic process for the removal of cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) from contaminated soils was performed. The efficiency of the chelate agents nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and diaminocycloexanetetraacetic acid (DCyTA) was examined under constant potential gradient (1.23 V/cm). The results showed that chelates were effective in desorbing metals at a high pH, with metal-chelate anion complexes migrating towards the anode. At low pH, metals existing as dissolved cations migrated towards the cathode. In such conflicting directions, the metals accumulated in the middle of the cell. Speciation of the metals during the electrokinetic experiments was performed to provide an understanding of the distribution of the Cd, Ni and Zn. The results of sequential extraction analysis revealed that the forms of the metals could be altered from one fraction to another due to the variation of physico-chemical conditions throughout the cell, such as pH, redox potential and the chemistry of the electrolyte solution during the electrokinetic treatment. It was found that binding forms of metals were changed from the difficult type to easier extraction type. PMID:20833468

An investigation of the feasibility of in-situ electrokinetic remediation for toxic metal contaminated soil driven by microbial fuel cell (MFC) is presented. Results revealed that the weak electricity generated from MFC could power the electrokinetic remediation effectively. The metal removal efficiency and its influence on soil physiological properties were also investigated. With the electricity generated through the oxidation of organics in soils by microorganisms, the metals in the soils would mitigate from the anode to the cathode. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in the soils increased gradually through the anode to the cathode regions after remediation. After about 143days and 108 days' operation, the removal efficiencies of 31.0% and 44.1% for Cd and Pb at the anode region could be achieved, respectively. Soil properties such as pH and soil conductivity were also significantly redistributed from the anode to the cathode regions. The study shows that the MFC driving electrokinetic remediation technology is cost-effective and environmental friendly, with a promising application in soil remediation. PMID:27388419

Electrokinetic process for remediation of a shooting-range site was evaluated in this study. By field operation for 100 days, the newly designed electrokinetic system was evaluated for process stability, performance, and efficiency. The field site of this study was an abandoned military shooting range located in the Civilian Control Line of South Korea. The target area, only, was heavily contaminated by Pb and Cu to a depth of 0.5 m. After dry-sieving of the field soil to separate particulate Pb, two cells in a hexagonal (two-dimensional) arrangement, including ten anodes outside the cell and two cathodes in the middle, were prepared. The pH of each electrolyte was adjusted by use of concentrated HNO(3), resulting in acid-enhanced electrokinetics. The monitoring results indicated that overall removal of heavy metals (Pb, Cu) was achieved, and that both heavy metals were removed from outside the cell. The average final efficiency of removal of Pb and Cu was 39.5 ± 35 and 63.8 ± 12%, respectively. Although the feasibility of this system was confirmed, for commercialization of the process confirmed drawbacks must be improved by further study. PMID:21858453

Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) is a solid waste found in filters after sulphuric acid leaching of manganese carbonate ore, which mainly contains manganese and ammonia nitrogen and seriously damages the ecological environment. This work demonstrated the use of electrokinetic (EK) remediation to remove ammonia nitrogen and manganese from EMR. The transport behavior of manganese and ammonia nitrogen from EMR during electrokinetics, Mn fractionation before and after EK treatment, the relationship between Mn fractionation and transport behavior, as well as the effects of electrolyte and pretreatment solutions on removal efficiency and energy consumption were investigated. The results indicated that the use of H2SO4 and Na2SO4 as electrolytes and pretreatment of EMR with citric acid and KCl can reduce energy consumption, and the removal efficiencies of manganese and ammonia nitrogen were 27.5 and 94.1 %, respectively. In these systems, electromigration and electroosmosis were the main mechanisms of manganese and ammonia nitrogen transport. Moreover, ammonia nitrogen in EMR reached the regulated level, and the concentration of manganese in EMR could be reduced from 455 to 37 mg/L. In general, the electrokinetic remediation of EMR is a promising technology in the future. PMID:26062467

Characterization and analysis of rare cells provide critical cues for early diagnosis of diseases. Electrokinetic cell separation has been previously established to have greater efficiency when compared to traditional flow cytometry methods. It has been shown by many researchers that buffer solutions in which cells are suspended in, have enormous effects on producing required dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces to characterize cells. Most commonly used suspension buffers used are deionized water and cell media. However, these solutions exhibit high level of intrinsic noise, which greatly masks the electrokinetic signals from cells under study. Ionic liquids (ILs) show promise towards the creation of conductive fluids with required electrical properties. The goal of this project is to design and test ILs for enhancing DEP forces on cells while creating an environment for preserving their integrity. We analyzed two methylimidazolium based ILs as suspension medium for cell separation. These dicationic ILs possess slight electrical and structural differences with high thermal stability. The two ILs were tested for cytotoxicity using HeLa and bone cells. The effects of electrical neutrality, free charge screening due to ILs towards enhanced electrokinetic signals from cells were studied with improved system resolution and no harmful effects.

There are numerous studies on the application of electrokinetic decontamination technique to remediate heavy metal contaminated fine-grained soils. In recent studies, surfactants have been used to increase the efficiency of contaminant removal. However, there is limited data available on how physicochemical parameters such as zeta potential (zeta) of soils changes in the presence of surfactants. Understanding the zeta potential variations of soils with surfactant addition is important because it controls the direction and magnitude of electro-osmotic permeability, which plays important role on the efficiency of electrokinetic remediation. In this study, zeta potentials of kaolinite, montmorillonite and quartz powder with Li+, Ca+2, Cu+2, Pb+2 and Al+3 in the presence of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants were determined. The results indicate that anionic surfactants produce negative zeta potentials. The other surfactants produce both positive and negative zeta potentials depending on soil type and ion present in the system. The results also indicate that the zeta potential of kaolinite and quartz powder with surfactants showed similar trends; however, the absolute magnitude of the zeta potential of quartz powder is higher than that of kaolinite. The zeta potential of montmorillonite commonly shows a different trend from those of kaolinite and quartz powder. Based on the test results, it is recommended that zeta potential of soils be determined before the electrokinetic decontamination in order to maximize the efficiency of the technique. PMID:15811672

Electrokinetic soil remediation has been proven to remove heavy metals and polar organics from low hydraulic conductivity subsurface environment. In this study, carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CMCD) was used as a carrier to assist electrokinetic treatment for removal of low polarity organic contaminants from soils (2.2% organic carbon content). Naphthalene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) were selected as the test compounds. The results from columns experiments showed that 46 and 43% of naphthalene and 2,4-DNT, respectively, were removed using 0.01 N NaNO(3) flushing solution with 40 V electrical potential while 70 and 72% of naphthalene and 2,4-DNT were removed using 2 g/L CMCD solution. Naphthalene and 2,4-DNT removal was enhanced to 83 and 89%, respectively, by using 2 g/L CMCD with 40 V electrical potential. Findings from this study also demonstrated that cyclodextrin assisted electrokinetics can enhance the removal rate of naphthalene and 2,4-DNT. Electric potential applied has more influence on the contaminant removal than the amount of CMCD used. Higher voltage application caused increase in the removal rate of naphthalene and 2,4-DNT, and appeared to be one of the critical factors in obtaining higher contaminant removal while increasing CMCD solution concentration above 2 g/L appeared to have little effect on the contaminant removal. PMID:16359784

A dual cloud point extraction (dCPE) off-line enrichment procedure coupled with a hydrodynamic-electrokinetic two-step injection online enrichment technique was successfully developed for simultaneous preconcentration of trace phenolic estrogens (hexestrol, dienestrol, and diethylstilbestrol) in water samples followed by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) analysis. Several parameters affecting the extraction and online injection conditions were optimized. Under optimal dCPE-two-step injection-MEKC conditions, detection limits of 7.9-8.9 ng/mL and good linearity in the range from 0.05 to 5 μg/mL with correlation coefficients R(2) ≥ 0.9990 were achieved. Satisfactory recoveries ranging from 83 to 108% were obtained with lake and tap water spiked at 0.1 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively, with relative standard deviations (n = 6) of 1.3-3.1%. This method was demonstrated to be convenient, rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally benign, and could be used as an alternative to existing methods for analyzing trace residues of phenolic estrogens in water samples. PMID:23657452

The electrokinetic behavior of G6.5 carboxylate-terminated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) starburst dendrimers (8 ± 1 nm diameter) is investigated over a broad range of pH values (3-9) and NaNO3 concentrations (c(∞ )= 2-200 mM). The dependence of nanodendrimer electrophoretic mobility μ on pH and c(∞) is marked by an unconventional decrease of the point of zero mobility (PZM) from 5.4 to 5.5 to 3.8 upon increase in salt concentration, with PZM defined as the pH value at which a reversal of the mobility sign is reached. The existence of a common intersection point is further evidenced for series of mobility versus pH curves measured at different NaNO3 concentrations. Using soft particle electrokinetic theory, this remarkable behavior is shown to originate from the zwitterionic functionality of the PAMAM-COOH particles. The dependence of PZM on c(∞) results from the coupling between electroosmotic flow and dendrimeric interphase defined by a nonuniform distribution of amine and carboxylic functional groups. In turn, μ reflects the sign and distribution of particle charges located within an electrokinetically active region, the dimension of which is determined by the Debye length, varied here in the range 0.7-6.8 nm. In agreement with theory, the electrokinetics of smaller G4.5 PAMAM-COOH nanoparticles (5 ± 0.5 nm diameter) further confirms that the PZM is shifted to higher pH with decreasing dendrimer size. Depending on pH, a mobility extremum is obtained under conditions where the Debye length and the particle radius are comparable. This results from changes in particle structure compactness following salt- and pH-mediated modulations of intraparticle Coulombic interactions. The findings solidly evidence the possible occurrence of particle mobility reversal in monovalent salt solution suggested by recent molecular dynamic simulations and anticipated from earlier mean-field electrokinetic theory. PMID:25939023

Rapid detection of bacterial pathogens is critical toward judicious management of infectious diseases. Herein, we demonstrate an in situ electrokinetic stringency control approach for a self-assembled monolayer-based electrochemical biosensor toward urinary tract infection diagnosis. The in situ electrokinetic stringency control technique generates Joule heating induced temperature rise and electrothermal fluid motion directly on the sensor to improve its performance for detecting bacterial 16S rRNA, a phylogenetic biomarker. The dependence of the hybridization efficiency reveals that in situ electrokinetic stringency control is capable of discriminating single-base mismatches. With electrokinetic stringency control, the background noise due to the matrix effects of clinical urine samples can be reduced by 60%. The applicability of the system is demonstrated by multiplex detection of three uropathogenic clinical isolates with similar 16S rRNA sequences. The results demonstrate that electrokinetic stringency control can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the biosensor for multiplex urinary tract infection diagnosis. PMID:23891989

We report in this paper identification of the new isotope /sup 233/Ac. Uranium targets were irradiated with 28 GeV protons; after rapid retrieval of the target and separation of actinium from thorium, /sup 233/Ac was allowed to decay into the known /sup 233/Th daughter. Exhaustive chemical purification was employed to permit the identification of /sup 233/Th via its characteristic ..gamma.. radiations. The half-life derived for /sup 233/Ac from several experiments is 2.3 +- 0.3 min. The production cross section for /sup 233/Ac is 100 ..mu..b.

An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument. 8 figs.

An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument.

The optimisation of electrokinetic remediation of an alluvial soil, locally named as Holyrood-Lunas from Sri Gading Industrial Area, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia, had been conducted in this research. This particular soil was chosen due to its relatively high level of background radiation in a range between 139.2 and 539.4 nGy h(-1). As the background radiation is correlated to the amount of parent nuclides, (238)U and (232)Th, hence, a remediation technique, such as electrokinetic, is very useful in reducing these particular concentrations of heavy metal and radionuclides in soils. Several series of electrokinetics experiments were performed in laboratory scale in order to study the influence of certain electrokinetic parameters in soil. The concentration before (pre-electrokinetic) and after the experiment (post-electrokinetic) was determined via X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis technique. The best electrokinetic parameter that contributed to the highest achievable concentration removal of heavy metals and radionuclides on each experimental series was incorporated into a final electrokinetic experiment. Here, High Pure Germanium (HPGe) was used for radioactivity elemental analysis. The XRF results suggested that the most optimised electrokinetic parameters for Cr, Ni, Zn, As, Pb, Th and U were 3.0 h, 90 volts, 22.0 cm, plate-shaped electrode by 8 × 8 cm and in 1-D configuration order whereas the selected optimised electrokinetic parameters gave very low reduction of (238)U and (232)Th at 0.23 ± 2.64 and 2.74 ± 23.78 ppm, respectively. PMID:25920778

Electrokinetic phenomena are a powerful tool used in various scientific and technological applications for the manipulation of aqueous solutions and the chemical entities within them. However, the use of DC-induced electrokinetics in miniaturized devices is highly limited. This is mainly due to unavoidable electrochemical reactions at the electrodes, which hinder successful manipulation. Here we present experimental evidence that on-chip DC manipulation of particles between closely positioned electrodes inside micro-droplets can be successfully achieved, and at low voltages. We show that such manipulation, which is considered practically impossible, can be used to rapidly concentrate and pattern particles in 2D shapes in inter-electrode locations. We show that this is made possible in low ion content dispersions, which enable low-voltage electrokinetics and an anomalous bubble-free water electrolysis. This phenomenon can serve as a powerful tool in both microflow devices and digital microfluidics for rapid pre-concentration and particle patterning. PMID:26293477

In the present paper, we have investigated as a function of surfactant concentration the rheological (yield value, plastic viscosity) and electrokinetic (mobility, zeta potential) properties of montmorillonite (MMT) dispersions. The influence of surfactants (Octadeccyltrimethylammonium bromide, ODTABr and Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, HDTABr) on dispersions of Na-activated bentonite was evaluated by rheological and electrokinetic measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The interactions between clay minerals and surfactants in water-based Na-activated MMT dispersions (2 wt.%) were examined in detail using rheologic parameters, such as viscosity, yield point, apparent and plastic viscosity, hysteresis area, and electrokinetic parameters of mobility and zeta potentials, and XRD also analyses helped to determine swelling properties of d-spacings. MMT and organoclay dispersions showed Bingham Plastic flow behavior. The zeta potential measurements displayed that the surfactant molecules hold on the clay particle surfaces and the XRD analyses displayed that they get into the basal layers.

The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of porous zeolites allows to adsorb in the framework cavities the cations as pollutant heavy metal ions. We investigate the CEC behaviour of different zeolites in different experimental conditions; in solution where the ion's mobility is spontaneous and free and in the electrokinetic system where the ion's mobility is driven by the electric field. The aim of this study is to investigate if the CEC is an useful property to create a special interface region of zeolites, that if placed in the electrokinetic cell, just before the cathode, could allow to capture and concentrate the heavy metallic ions, during their migrating process. The zeolite 13X investigated in the electrokinetic proofs, retains a good high ions adsorption, even if quite smaller than the relevant free solution condition and well acts as confined trap for the heavy metal ions. In fact no trace of metallic deposition are present on the electrode's surface. PMID:16716501

Electrokinetic phenomena are a powerful tool used in various scientific and technological applications for the manipulation of aqueous solutions and the chemical entities within them. However, the use of DC-induced electrokinetics in miniaturized devices is highly limited. This is mainly due to unavoidable electrochemical reactions at the electrodes, which hinder successful manipulation. Here we present experimental evidence that on-chip DC manipulation of particles between closely positioned electrodes inside micro-droplets can be successfully achieved, and at low voltages. We show that such manipulation, which is considered practically impossible, can be used to rapidly concentrate and pattern particles in 2D shapes in inter-electrode locations. We show that this is made possible in low ion content dispersions, which enable low-voltage electrokinetics and an anomalous bubble-free water electrolysis. This phenomenon can serve as a powerful tool in both microflow devices and digital microfluidics for rapid pre-concentration and particle patterning. PMID:26293477

The present HVAC equipments for the residential buildings in the Hot-summer-and-Cold-winter climate region are still at a high energy consuming level. So that the high efficiency HVAC system is an urgently need for achieving the preset government energy saving goal. With its advantage of highly sanitary, highly comfortable and uniform of temperature field, the hot-water resource floor radiation heating system has been widely accepted. This paper has put forward a new way in air-conditioning, which combines the fresh-air supply unit and such floor radiation system for the dehumidification and cooling in summer or heating in winter. By analyze its advantages and limitations, we found that this so called Cooling/ Heating Floor AC System can improve the IAQ of residential building while keep high efficiency quality. We also recommend a methodology for the HVAC system designing, which will ensure the reduction of energy cost of users.

An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a plurality of analog ac circuits by sampling the voltage and current waveform in each circuit at predetermined intervals, converting the analog current and voltage samples to digital format, storing the digitized current and voltage samples and using the stored digitized current and voltage samples to calculate a variety of electrical parameters; some of which are derived from the stored samples. The non-derived quantities are repeatedly calculated and stored over many separate cycles then averaged. The derived quantities are then calculated at the end of an averaging period. This produces a more accurate reading, especially when averaging over a period in which the power varies over a wide dynamic range. Frequency is measured by timing three cycles of the voltage waveform using the upward zero crossover point as a starting point for a digital timer.

Electrostatic grid controls conduction cycle of thermionic diode to convert low dc output voltages to high ac power without undesirable power loss. An ac voltage applied to the grid of this new thermionic triode enables it to convert heat directly into high voltage electrical power.

An automated, ac galvanomagnetic measurement system is described. Hall or van der Pauw measurements in the temperature range 10-300 K can be made at a preselected magnetic field without operator attendance. Procedures to validate sample installation and correct operation of other system functions, such as magnetic field and thermometry, are included. Advantages of ac measurements are discussed.

Electrokinetic soil remediation is also called electrokinetic soil processing, electroreclamation, and electrochemical decontamination. The electrokinetic technique needs a low-level direct current of the order of mA/cm2 between electrodes to remove contaminants. The electrokinetic technique is one of the most promising remediation processes, and offers high efficiency and time effectiveness in the decontamination of low-permeability soils contaminated with heavy metals, radionuclides, or organic compounds. The significance of this technique is attributed to its low operational cost and potential applicability to a wide range of contaminant types, and these benefits have resulted in the initiation of numerous studies into its use for waste remediation. Electrode configuration is crucial for cost-effectiveness and overall efficacy of the elelectrokinetic processing, particularly in its field implementation. We investigated the effectiveness of various electrode arrays which can be grouped into one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) ones. Normally, the DC electricity of full wave has been used to remove contaminants from soils using elelectrokinetic processing. However, application of half-wave DC power can be also taken into account to improve efficacy of the processing, because it generates pulse power and accelerates the migration of contaminants within soils. We empirically evaluated the effect of type of DC electricity on the overall performance of the electrokinetic soil processing. The 1-D configuration with 5 electrode pairs showed the least total electric power, but that consumed in only the soil cell was less in the 2-D arrays than in 1-D ones. Particularly, most of the electric power is likely to be consumed in the electrode compartments, and the electric resistance in the electrode parts should be reduced to save the electric energy cost in the whole processing. In terms of removal efficiencies of 5 heavy metal contaminants, overall efficiency

An investigation of the basic factors which govern the microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) separation of Hematoporphyrin D and its base hydrolysis product, hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD), was performed. These model compounds contain a complex mixture of porphyrin monomers, dimers and/or oligomers, and were utilized to gain insights into the MEEKC/micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) separation of samples containing highly lipophilic substances. For example, the organic modifier/cosurfactant (1-butanol) and/or oil phase (e.g., 1-octanol in comparison to ethyl acetate) were found to have an apparent influence on the separation selectivity of Hematoporphyrin D, the extent of which was dependent on the chemical nature of the surfactant employed (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate vs. sodium cholate). An interesting and important finding was that the presence of an organic modifier (methanol or acetonitrile at a concentration of 20% or higher) in the sample matrix as well as in the run buffer was essential for the optimal MEEKC or MEKC separation of a number of porphyrin monomers (including hematoporphyrin IX and its acetates, most likely hydroxyacetate, diacetate, and vinyl acetate, as well as its dehydration products, hydroxyethylvinyldeuteroporphyrin and protoporphyrin) contained in Hematoporphyrin D. On the other hand, the use of these optimized conditions for the MEEKC or MEKC separation of various oligomeric porphyrin species in HpD were unsatisfactory. As HpD is a well-known and effective photosensitizing agent in photodynamic therapy (a new approach for cancer treatment), the improved separation and characterization of various monomeric and oligomeric porphyrin species in HpD and its starting material, such as Hematoporphyrin D, is a challenging and important task. PMID:15669006

Electrokinetic process has emerged as an important tool for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil. The process can concentrate heavy metals into smaller soil volume even in the absence of hydraulic flow. This makes it an attractive soil pre-treatment method before other remediation techniques are applied such that the chemical consumption in the latter stage can be reduced. The present study evaluates the feasibility of electrokinetic process in concentrating lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in a co-contaminated soil using different types of wetting agents, namely 0.01 M NaNO3, 0.1 M citric acid and 0.1 M EDTA. The data obtained showed that NaNO3 and citric acid resulted in poor Pb electromigration in this study. As for Cr migration, these agents were also found to give lower electromigration rate especially at low pH region as a result of Cr(VI) adsorption and possible reduction into Cr(III). In contrast, EDTA emerged as the best wetting agent in this study as it formed water-soluble anionic complexes with both Pb and Cr. This provided effective one-way electromigration towards the anode for both ions, and they were accumulated into smaller soil volume with an enrichment ratio of 1.55-1.82. A further study on the application of approaching cathode in EDTA test showed that soil alkalisation was achieved, but this did not provide significant enhancement on electromigration for Pb and Cr. Nevertheless, the power consumption for electrokinetic process was decreased by 22.5%. PMID:26330317

Remediation of contaminated sites is an inherently difficult and time consuming process for a large number of reasons, some of the most significant being the complexity of stratigraphy and local scale geology across a wide range of scales; the heterogeneity of sedimentary deposits even when considering small scales, and the ineffectiveness of existing technologies. The traditional use of in situ chemical/biological treatments, while successful for remediation in their own right at some sites, have limited application at sites with complex geology and where NAPL is present. Electrokinetics, the migration of charged compounds under an electrical gradient, was investigated in the context of a remediation technique for dissolved phase contamination in low permeability environments. The target contaminant for the study was Trichloroethene (TCE), and the remediation compound was Potassium Permanganate. Experiments were performed in column scale and tank scale apparatuses, where a voltage potential was placed across or within a porous media, and the migration rate measured or visually observed. TCE contaminated cores were subjected to potassium permanganate remediation through diffusion transport alone, and various formulations of voltage potentials. Electrokinetics was found to migrate a dilute solution of potassium permanganate through low permeability porous media, several orders of magnitude faster than diffusion transport alone. The migration rate was found to be directly proportional to the applied voltage, with significant migration factors occurring for field-scale achievable voltages of 1-2 V/cm. The electrokinetic migration was found to be a threshold phenomenon, with a minimum applied voltage being required to offset electroosmotic flux and pore pressure factors. The demonstrated technique has significant potential for the remediation of contaminated low permeability media, through the use of potassium permanganate, and other approaches.

In this work, the feasibility of electrokinetic remediation for the restoration of polluted soil with organic and inorganic compounds had been development and evaluated using a model soil sample. The model soil was prepared with kaolinite clay artificially polluted in the laboratory with chromium and an azo dye: Reactive Black 5 (RB5). The electromigration of Cr in a spiked kaolinite sample was studied in alkaline conditions. Despite of the high pH registered in the kaolinite sample (around pH 9.5), Cr migrated towards the cathode and it was accumulated in the cathode chamber forming a white precipitate. The removal was not complete, and 23% of the initial Cr was retained into the kaolinite sample close to the cathode side. The azo dye RB5 could be effectively removed from kaolinite by electrokinetics and the complete cleanup of the kaolinite could be achieved in alkaline environment. In this condition, RB5 formed an anion that migrated towards the anode where it was accumulated and quickly degraded upon the electrode surface. The electrokinetic treatment of a kaolinite sample polluted with both Cr and RB5 yielded very good results. The removal of Cr was improved compared to the experiment where Cr was the only pollutant, and RB5 reached a removal as high as 95%. RB5 was removed by electromigration towards the anode, where the dye was degraded upon the surface of the electrode by electrochemical oxidation. Cr was transported towards the cathode by electromigration and electroosmosis. It is supposed that the interaction among RB5 and Cr into the kaolinite sample prevented premature precipitation and allow Cr to migrate and concentrate in the cathode chamber. PMID:18569297

Creosote is a toxic and carcinogenic substance used in wood impregnation. Approximately 1,200 sites in Finland are contaminated with creosote. This study examined the possibility of enhancing bioremediation of creosote-contaminated soil with a combination of electric heating and infiltration and electrokinetic introduction of oxygenated, nutrient-rich liquid. Preliminary tests were performed in the laboratory, and a pilot test was conducted in situ at a creosote-contaminated former wood impregnation plant in Eastern Finland. Wood preservation practices at the plant were discontinued in 1989, but the soil and the groundwater in the area are still highly contaminated. The laboratory tests were mainly performed as a methodological test aiming for upscaling. The soils used in these tests were a highly polluted soil from a marsh next to the impregnation plant and a less polluted soil near the base of the impregnation building. The laboratory test showed that the relative degradation was significantly higher in high initial contaminant concentrations than with low initial concentrations. During the first 7 weeks, PAH-concentrations decreased by 68% in the marsh soil compared with a 51% reduction in the building soil. The field test was performed to a ca. 100 m3 soil section next to the former impregnation building. Nutrient and oxygen levels in the soils were elevated by hydraulic and electrokinetic pumping of urea and phosphate amended, aerated water into the soil. The DC current introduced into the soil raised the temperature from the ambient ca. 6 degrees C up to between 16 and 50 degrees C. Total PAH concentrations decreased by 50-80% during 3 months of treatment while mineral oil concentrations decreased approximately 30%. Electrokinetically enhanced in situ - bioremediation, which also significantly raised the soil temperature, proved to be a promising method to remediate creosote-contaminated soils. PMID:17365294

Capillary electrokinetic chromatography is suitable for the separation of mixtures of uncharged and charged solutes. In the present work the behavior of six synthetic food antioxidants--2[3]-tert.-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, 2,6-di-tert.-butyl-p-cresol, tercbutylhydroquinone, 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid propyl ester, 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid octyl ester and 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid dodecyl ester--was studied in a capillary electrophoresis system using capillary electrokinetic chromatography with vesicles of the surfactant bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT). Several studies aimed at calculating the critical aggregation concentration of the surfactant were conducted to check that under the conditions used the AOT was in a state of aggregation. Having checked the association shown by the surfactant, we then explored the greater or lesser capacity of the antioxidants to interact with this compound. We followed the evolution of the molecular absorption spectra of each of the antioxidants in the presence of the surfactant at different concentrations and the retention factors were calculated at different pH values. Additionally, in order to determine which species--anionic or neutral--was present at the pH of the buffer used (boric/borate), the pKa values in acetonitrile-water (20:80) were obtained. Resolution and quantification of the antioxidants demand optimization of the variables involved in the system, such as the percentage of acetonitrile, the concentration of AOT and boric/borate buffer, pH, voltage, etc. When this part of the study had been completed, calibrations were obtained for each of the antioxidants, obtaining good linear correlation coefficients in all cases. Finally, we propose a method that allows the resolution of the six most employed antioxidants in a capillary electrophoretic system in 15 min, using electrokinetic chromatography with AOT as the pseudostationary phase. PMID:10735321

The poor mobility of organic pollutants in contaminated sites frequently results in slow remediation processes. Organics, especially hydrophobic compounds, are generally retained strongly in soil matrix as a result of sorption, sequestration, or even formation into non-aqueous-phase liquids and their mobility is thus greatly reduced. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using non-uniform electrokinetic transport processes to enhance the mobility of organic pollutants in unsaturated soils with no injection reagents. Phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and kaolin and a natural sandy loam soil were selected as model organics and soils, respectively. The results showed that non-uniform electrokinetics can accelerate the desorption and movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP in unsaturated soils. Electromigration and electroosmotic flow were the main driving forces, and their role in the mobilization of phenol and 2,4-DCP varied with soil pH. The movement of 2,4-DCP in the sandy loam towards the anode (about 1.0 cmd(-1)V(-1)) was 1.0-1.5 cmd(-1)V(-1) slower than that in the kaolin soil, but about 0.5 cmd(-1)V(-1) greater than that of phenol in the sandy loam. When the sandy loam was adjusted to pH 9.3, the movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP towards the anode was about twice and five times faster than that at pH 7.7, respectively. The results also demonstrated that the movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP in soils can be easily controlled by regulating the operational mode of electric field. It is believed that non-uniform electrokinetics has the potential for practical application to in situ remediation of organics-contaminated sites. PMID:15857640

Direct AC/AC converters have been studied due to their potential use in power converters with no DC-link capacitor, which can contribute to the miniaturization of power converters. However, the absence of a DC-link capacitor makes it difficult to control the AC motor during power interruption. First, this paper proposes a system that realizes AC motor control during power interruption by utilizing a clamp capacitor. In general, direct AC/AC converters have a clamp circuit consisting of a rectifier diode(s) and a clamp capacitor in order to avoid over-voltages. In the proposed system, there is an additional semiconductor switch reverse-parallel to the rectifier diode(s), and the clamp capacitor voltage can be utilized for AC motor control by turning on the additional switch. Second, this paper discusses an operation method for AC motor control and clamp capacitor voltage control during power interruption. In the proposed method “DC-link voltage control”, the kinetic energy in the AC motor is transformed into electrical energy and stored in the clamp capacitor; the clamp capacitor is therefore charged and the capacitor voltage is controlled to remain constant at an instruction value. Third, this paper discusses a switching operation during power interruption. A dead-time is introduced between the operation of turning off all switches on the rectifier side and the operation of turning on the additional switch, which prevents the occurrence of a short circuit between the interrupted power source and the clamp capacitor. Finally, experimental results are presented. During power interruptions, an output current was continuously obtained and the clamp capacitor voltage was maintained to be equal to the instruction value of the capacitor voltage. These results indicate that both AC motor control and capacitor voltage control were successfully achieved by using the proposed system.

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography method (MEKC) has been developed and validated for the determination of bile acids (BA) such as ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), dehydrocholic acid (DHCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) in pharmaceuticals for quality control purpose. The background electrolyte consisted of 20 mM borate-phosphate buffer containing 50 mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), and acetonitrile as additive. UV detection was set at 185 nm. Selectivity, linearity, range, repeatability, intermediate precision and accuracy showed good results. Comparison of the values obtained by MEKC and HPLC methods were in close agreement. PMID:10933529

Transient electrokinetic coupling phenomena created at the microscopic scale by the passage of seismic waves through fluid-saturated porous media generate conversions between seismic and electromagnetic (EM) energy which can be observed at the macroscopic scale. Far from being a mere scientific curiosity, transient seismoelectric or electroseismic phenomena are especially appealing to oil and gas exploration and hydrogeology as they open up the (fairly unique) possibility to characterize fluid-bearing geological formations with the resolution of seismic methods. Indeed, electrokinetic effects are likely to reconcile the sensitivity of electromagnetic exploration methods to fluids with the high resolving power of seismic prospecting techniques for structural imaging, thus naturally bridging the gap between these two important geophysical investigation means. Accounting for the electromagnetic dimension of the seismic wave propagation, or conversely, accounting for the seismic dimension of electromagnetic wave propagation gives new insights into the microstructure and physico-chemistry of fluid-filled porous or fractured media. We present full-waveform simulations of the coupled seismoelectromagnetic wave propagation in fluid-saturated, finely stratified porous media of interest to oil and gas exploration. Our simulation code uses the macroscopic governing equations derived by Pride [1994], which couple Biot's theory and Maxwell equations via flux/force transport equations. The synthetic seismoelectrograms and seismomagnetrograms are computed by extending the generalized reflection and transmission matrix method and by using a discrete wave number integration of the global reflectivity obtained in the frequency wave number domain. The theoretical signals clearly display the coseismic electric and magnetic fields travelling with the seismic disturbances as well as the seismic-to-electromagnetic conversions taking place at contrasts in solid and fluid properties. Our

Self-potential (SP) surveys were carried out on a number of geothermal areas in Japan during the last decade. In most cases SP anomalies of positive polarity are found to overlie high temperature upflow zones. Streaming potential generated by hydrothermal circulation (Ishido, 1981) is considered to be the most likely cause of the observed positive anomalies. Repeated surveys conducted on the Nigorikawa caldera in Japan detected a change in SP induced by production of geothermal fluids. The observed change is dipolar in waveform and can also be attributed to an electrokinetic mechanism. 6 figs., 14 refs.

The use of geophysical techniques such as electrical resistivity and impedance tomography have proven to be effective for the investigation and monitoring of a variety of environmental processes. This study investigates the possibility of using resistivity imaging to monitor the progress of electrokinetic remediation, a decontamination process based on electrochemical methods. The resistivity is a parameter of great theoretical and practical interest. On one side, resistivity is strictly related to the pore fluid composition and provides information about the chemical state of the material subjected to remediation. On the other side, knowing the evolution and distribution of resistivity is of practical importance both at the design stage and during operation because it directly affects the electrical energy expenditures. Monitoring of electrokinetic processes both in laboratory and in field is usually carried out by point measurements and sample collection from discrete locations. Resistivity imaging is effective in providing low-cost, non-destructive, high space and time resolution mapping. During electrokinetic remediation an electric field is applied to the contaminated matrix to extract the pollutants. In the field, array of electrodes are generally employed to apply the electric field, arranged in a two-dimensional grid. The electrodes are installed inside wells to allow the circulation of electrolytes employed to enhance the extraction of the pollutants. In this study we describe the practical challenges both in the measurements and in the data processing encountered during the tomographic imaging of marine sediments subjected to electrokinetic remediation in a 150 m3 ex-situ treatment plant. In such system there are a number of constraints to overcome in order to obtain an effective tomographic image of the sediments: (1) the electric field applied for remediation cannot be powered off, thus this field represents the source for current injection for the

Implementation of alternating current (AC) photovoltaic (PV) modules, particularly for distributed applications such as PV rooftops and facades, may be slowed by public concern about electric and magnetic fields (EMF). This paper documents magnetic field measurements on an AC PV module, complementing EMF research on direct-current PV modules conducted by PG and E in 1993. Although not comprehensive, the PV EMF data indicate that 60 Hz magnetic fields (the EMF type of greatest public concern) from PV modules are comparable to, or significantly less than, those from household appliances. Given the present EMF research knowledge, AC PV module EMF may not merit considerable concern.

This article describes inverter-based ac traction systems which give freight locomotives greater adhesion, pulling power, and braking capacity. In the 1940s, dc traction replaced the steam engine as a source of train propulsion, and it has ruled the freight transportation industry ever since. But now, high-performance ac-traction systems, with their unprecedented levels of pulling power and adhesion, are becoming increasingly common on America`s freight railroads. In thousands of miles of demonstration tests, today`s ac-traction systems have outperformed traditional dc-motor driven systems. Major railroad companies are convinced enough of the benefits of ac traction to have integrated it into their freight locomotives.

An optical transparent 3-D Integrated Microchannel-Electrode System (3-DIMES) has been developed to understand the particles' movement with electrokinetics in the microchannel. In this system, 40 multilayered electrodes are embedded at the 2 opposite sides along the 5 square cross-sections of the microchannel by using Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems technology in order to achieve the optical transparency at the other 2 opposite sides. The concept of the 3-DIMES is that the particles are driven by electrokinetic forces which are dielectrophoretic force, thermal buoyancy, electrothermal force, and electroosmotic force in a three-dimensional scope by selecting the excitation multilayered electrodes. As a first step to understand the particles' movement driven by electrokinetic forces in high conductive fluid (phosphate buffer saline (PBS)) with the 3-DIMES, the velocities of particles' movement with one pair of the electrodes are measured three dimensionally by Particle Image Velocimetry technique in PBS; meanwhile, low conductive fluid (deionized water) is used as a reference. Then, the particles' movement driven by the electrokinetic forces is discussed theoretically to estimate dominant forces exerting on the particles. Finally, from the theoretical estimation, the particles' movement mainly results from the dominant forces which are thermal buoyancy and electrothermal force, while the velocity vortex formed at the 2 edges of the electrodes is because of the electroosmotic force. The conclusions suggest that the 3-DIMES with PBS as high conductive fluid helps to understand the three-dimensional advantageous flow structures for cell manipulation in biomedical applications. PMID:27042247

Electrokinetic probes based on the differential migration of ternary boronate ester complexes permit the selective analysis of micromolar levels of UV-transparent polyol stereoisomers in urine samples via dynamic complexation-capillary electrophoresis that is applicable to single-step screening of in-born errors of sugar metabolism, such as galactosemia. PMID:18399200

We used fluorescence microscopy to investigate the diffusion and drift motion of λ DNA molecules on an Au-coated membrane surface near nanopores, prior to their translocation through solid-state nanopores. With the capability of controlling electric potential at the Au surface as a gate voltage, Vgate, the motions of DNA molecules, which are presumably generated by electrokinetic flow, vary dramatically near the nanopores in our observations. We carefully investigate these DNA motions with different values of Vgate in order to alter the densities and polarities of the counterions, which are expected to change the flow speed or direction, respectively. Depending on Vgate, our observations have revealed the critical distance from a nanopore for DNA molecules to be attracted or repelled—DNA’s anisotropic and unsteady drifting motions and accumulations of DNA molecules near the nanopore entrance. Further finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations indicate that the electrokinetic flow could qualitatively explain these unusual DNA motions near metal-collated gated nanopores. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility of controlling the speed and direction of DNA motion near or through a nanopore, as in the case of recapturing a single DNA molecule multiple times with alternating current voltages on the Vgate.

We used fluorescence microscopy to investigate the diffusion and drift motion of λ DNA molecules on an Au-coated membrane surface near nanopores, prior to their translocation through solid-state nanopores. With the capability of controlling electric potential at the Au surface as a gate voltage, Vgate, the motions of DNA molecules, which are presumably generated by electrokinetic flow, vary dramatically near the nanopores in our observations. We carefully investigate these DNA motions with different values of Vgate in order to alter the densities and polarities of the counterions, which are expected to change the flow speed or direction, respectively. Depending on Vgate, our observations have revealed the critical distance from a nanopore for DNA molecules to be attracted or repelled-DNA's anisotropic and unsteady drifting motions and accumulations of DNA molecules near the nanopore entrance. Further finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations indicate that the electrokinetic flow could qualitatively explain these unusual DNA motions near metal-collated gated nanopores. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility of controlling the speed and direction of DNA motion near or through a nanopore, as in the case of recapturing a single DNA molecule multiple times with alternating current voltages on the Vgate. PMID:25611963

An analytical study on the effect of electrolyte types on the electrokinetic energy conversion is presented using nanoscale cylindrical capillary, which is either positively or negatively charged. The sign of surface charge determines the role and concentration magnitude of ions in the capillary and the energy conversion performance. Our study shows that the electrokinetic energy conversion performance (maximum efficiency, pressure rise and streaming potential) are approximately identical for 1:1 (KCl), 2:1 (CaCl2) and 3:1 (LaCl3) electrolytes when capillary is positively charged. For negatively charged capillary, energy conversion performance degrades significantly with the increase of counter-ion valence. For both positively and negatively charged capillaries, higher maximum efficiency can be resulted in low bulk concentration and surface charge density regimes. However, high maximum pressure rise generation for the pumping is found in the low bulk concentration and high surface charge density regimes. For the electric power generation, higher maximum streaming potential is found when both bulk concentration and surface charge density are low. PMID:20119963

A novel and validated micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) method using ultraviolet detection (UV) has been applied to the quantitative analysis of patulin (PAT) in commercial apple juice. Patulin was extracted from samples with an ethylacetate solution. The micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECK) parameters studied for method optimization were buffer composition, voltage, temperature, and a separation between PAT and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (main interference in apple juice PAT analysis) peaks until reaching baseline. The method passes a series of validation tests including selectivity, linearity, limit of detection and quantification (0.7 and 2.5 microgL(-1), respectively), precision (within and between-day variability) and recovery (80.2% RSD=4%), accuracy, and robustness. This method was successfully applied to the measurement of 20 apple juice samples obtained from different supermarkets. One hundred percent of the samples were contaminated with a level greater than the limit of detection, with mean and median values of 41.3 and 35.7 microgL(-1), respectively. PMID:17707570

In the present study, a novel theoretical model is developed for the analysis of rotating thermal-fluid flow characteristics in the presence of electrokinetic effects in the microscale gap region between two parallel disks under specified electrostatic, rotational, and thermal boundary conditions. The major flow configuration considered is a rotor-stator disk system. Axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations with consideration of electric body force stemming from streaming potential are employed in the momentum balance. Variations of the fluid viscosity and permittivity with the local fluid temperature are considered. Between two disks, the axial distribution of the electric potential is determined by the Poisson equation with the concentration distributions of positive and negative ions obtained from Nernst-Planck equations for convection-diffusion of the ions in the flow field. Effects of disk rotation and electrostatic and thermal conditions on the electrokinetic flow and thermal characteristics are investigated. The electrohydrodynamic mechanisms are addressed with an interpretation of the coupling nature of the electric and flow fields. Finally, solutions with electric potential determined by employing nonlinear or linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation and/or invoking assumptions of constant properties are compared with the predictions of the present model for justification of various levels of approximation in solution of the electrothermal flow behaviors in rotating microfluidic systems. PMID:14654411

Successful bioremediation of contaminated soils is controlled by the ability to deliver bioremediation additives, such as bacteria and/or nutrients, to the contaminated zone. Because hydraulic advection is not practical for delivery in clays, electrokinetic (EK) injection is an alternative for efficient and uniform delivery of bioremediation additive into low-permeability soil and heterogeneous deposits. EK–enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of clays contaminated with chlorinated solvents is evaluated. Dehalococcoides (Dhc) bacterial strain and lactate ions are uniformly injected in contaminated clay and complete dechlorination of chlorinated ethene is observed in laboratory experiments. The injected bacteria can survive, grow, and promote effective dechlorination under EK conditions and after EK application. The distribution of Dhc within the clay suggests that electrokinetic transport of Dhc is primarily driven by electroosmosis. In addition to biodegradation due to bioaugmentation of Dhc, an EK-driven transport of chlorinated ethenes is observed in the clay, which accelerates cleanup of chlorinated ethenes from the anode side. Compared with conventional advection-based delivery, EK injection is significantly more effective forestablis hingmicrobial reductive dechlorination capacity in low-permeability soils. PMID:22365139

Sludge reduction in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) has recently become a key issue for the managing companies, due to the increasing constraints on the disposal alternatives. Therefore, all the solutions proposed with the aim of minimizing sludge production are receiving increasing attention and are tested either at laboratory or full-scale to evaluate their real effectiveness. In the present paper, electro-kinetic disintegration has been applied at full-scale in the recycle loop of the sludge drawn from the secondary settlement tank of a small WWTP for domestic sewage. After the disintegration stage, the treated sludge was returned to the biological reactor. Three different percentages (50, 75 and 100%) of the return sludge flow rate were subjected to disintegration and the effects on the sludge production and the WWTP operation efficiency evaluated. The long-term observations showed that the electro-kinetic disintegration was able to drastically reduce the amount of biological sludge produced by the plant, without affecting its treatment efficiency. The highest reduction was achieved when 100% return sludge flow rate was subjected to the disintegration process. The reduced sludge production gave rise to a considerable net cost saving for the company which manages the plant. PMID:26204067

Given sufficient time there are few synthetic compounds that can resist microbial degradation, a fact exploited in environmental clean-up. Despite this the performance of micro-organisms in remedial technologies is often sub-optimal. There are many reasons for the failure of indigenous microbial communities to reduce contaminant concentrations, including issues of bioavailability and the inability of the contaminants to switch on genes (catabolic) responsible for contaminant degradation. Even if the presence of the required catabolic genes is confirmed, there continues to be a significant need to develop procedures to stimulate their activity. We have investigated the potential of soil electrokinetics (3-4 A m-2) to stimulate microbial degradation of organic pollutants and move the soil contaminants relative to the degradative microorganisms, so increasing contact between the two components. Using soils contaminated with pentachlorophenol as our model laboratory system, we have demonstrated that the technique is effective at causing gross and controlled movement of PCP through soils at the laboratory-scale. It can also stimulate rates (up to 25% over that of the control) by which introduced bacteria degrade the contaminant. The additional potential benefits of electrokinetics in regard to stimulating microbial activity and soil clean-up will be discussed.

Physicochemical properties of poly-l-lysine and its monolayers on mica were thoroughly investigated by dynamic light scattering, electrokinetic methods and atomic force microscopy. The hydrodynamic diameter of PLL was equal to 25.5 nm within a wide range of pH and ionic strength. The electrophoretic measurements revealed that the molecules are positively charged for pH<10.5. By exploiting the electrophoretic mobility data, theelectrokinetic charge on the PLL molecules and their zeta potential were calculated. PLL monolayers of controlled coverage were deposited on mica under diffusion-controlled conditions by varying PLL bulk concentration and adsorption time. The electrokinetic characteristics of the monolayers were acquired in situ via streaming potential measurements. These studies allowed to uniquely determine the zeta potential of the monolayers as a function of pH and ionic strength. In this way the isoelectric point of the monolayers can be determined in a more convenient way compared to bulk measurements disturbed by the PLL molecule interactions. The stability of the monolayers under flow conditions was quantitatively evaluated via streaming potential measurements. The adsorption constant and the binding energy depth of PLL molecules were determined for different ionic strengths. These parameters indicate that the PLL monolayers remain stable over prolonged times. PMID:26115031

In this study, electrokinetic-Fenton treatment was used to remediate a soil polluted with PAHs and the pesticide pyrimethanil. Recently, this treatment has emerged as an interesting alternative to conventional soil treatments due to its peculiar advantages, namely the capability of treating fine and low-permeability materials, as well as that of achieving a high yield in the removals of salt content and inorganic and organic pollutants. In a standard electrokinetic-Fenton treatment, the maximum degradation of the pollutant load achieved was 67%, due to the precipitation of the metals near the cathode chamber that reduces the electro-osmotic flow of the system and thus the efficiency of the treatment. To overcome this problem, different complexing agents and pH control in the cathode chamber were evaluated to increase the electro-osmotic flux as well as to render easier the solubilization of the metal species present in the soil. Four complexing agents (ascorbic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in the Fenton-like treatment were evaluated. Results revealed the citric acid as the most suitable complexing agent. Thereby its efficiency was tested as pH controller by flushing it in the cathode chamber (pH 2 and 5). For the latter treatments, near total degradation was achieved after 27 d. Finally, phytotoxicity tests for polluted and treated samples were carried out. The high germination levels of the soil treated under enhanced conditions concluded that nearly complete restoration was achieved. PMID:25577698

In this paper a procedure for selecting the enhancing solutions in electrokinetic remediation experiments is proposed. For this purpose, dredged marine sediment was contaminated with fuel, and a total of 22 different experimental conditions were tested, analysing the influence of different enhancing solutions by using three commercial non-ionic surfactants, one bio-surfactant, one chelating agent, and one weak acid. Characterisation, microelectrophoretic and electrokinetic remediation trials were carried out. The results are explained on the basis of the interactions between the fuel, the enhancing electrolytes and the matrix. For one specific system, the electrophoretic zeta potential, (ζ), of the contaminated matrix in the solution was found to be related to the electroosmotic averaged ζ in the experiment and not to the efficiency in the extraction. This later was correlated to a parameter accounting for both contributions, the contaminant and the enhancing solution, calculated on the basis of differences in the electrophoretic ζ in different conditions which has allowed to propose a methodology for selection of enhancing solutions. PMID:25559497

Electrokinetic remediation has been increasingly used in soils and other matrices for numerous contaminants such as inorganic, organic, radionuclides, explosives and their mixtures. Several strategies were tested to improve this technology effectiveness, namely techniques to solubilize contaminants, control soil pH and also couple electrokinetics with other remediation technologies. This review focus in the experimental work carried out in organochlorines soil electroremediation, aiming to systemize useful information to researchers in this field. It is not possible to clearly state what technique is the best, since experimental approaches and targeted contaminants are different. Further research is needed in the application of some of the reviewed techniques. Also a number of technical and environmental issues will require evaluation for full-scale application. Removal efficiencies reported in real contaminated soils are much lower than the ones obtained with spiked kaolinite, showing the influence of other factors like aging of the contamination and adsorption to soil particles, resulting in important challenges when transferring technologies into the field. PMID:22386462

An electrokinetic-permeable reaction barrier (EK-PRB) system was introduced in this study with hydrocalumite as the barrier material. The combined system effectively remediated the Cr(VI)-contaminated clay after a 72-h treatment, and the Cr(VI) removal efficiency increased with the initial soil moisture content. Further evidence was found that the changing soil pH value and current density were highly associated with the initial moisture content, showing its important roles in the Cr(VI) removal process. Additionally, the total Cr removal efficiency was much lower than that of Cr(VI) owing to the partial conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the electrokinetic remediation process. Under high soil moisture conditions (40%), the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and total Cr was 96.6 and 67.3%, respectively. Further analysis also revealed the new mineral phase, chromate hydrocalumite, for Cr fixation in the hydrocalumite barrier, which was significantly affected by the initial soil moisture content. Our results showed that the EK-PRB system with a hydrocalumite barrier is highly promising with great potential for the effective remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated clay and engineering implementation. PMID:26635219

Successful bioremediation of contaminated soils is controlled by the ability to deliver bioremediation additives, such as bacteria and/or nutrients, to the contaminated zone. Because hydraulic advection is not practical for delivery in clays, electrokinetic (EK) injection is an alternative for efficient and uniform delivery of bioremediation additive into low-permeability soil and heterogeneous deposits. EK-enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of clays contaminated with chlorinated solvents is evaluated. Dehalococcoides (Dhc) bacterial strain and lactate ions are uniformly injected in contaminated clay and complete dechlorination of chlorinated ethene is observed in laboratory experiments. The injected bacteria can survive, grow, and promote effective dechlorination under EK conditions and after EK application. The distribution of Dhc within the clay suggests that electrokinetic transport of Dhc is primarily driven by electroosmosis. In addition to biodegradation due to bioaugmentation of Dhc, an EK-driven transport of chlorinated ethenes is observed in the clay, which accelerates cleanup of chlorinated ethenes from the anode side. Compared with conventional advection-based delivery, EK injection is significantly more effective for establishing microbial reductive dechlorination capacity in low-permeability soils. PMID:22365139

The effectiveness of electrokinetic remediation for pyrene-contaminated soil was investigated by an anode-cathode separated system using a salt bridge. The applied constant voltage was 24 V and the electrode gap was 24 cm. Two types of soil (sandy soil and loam soil) were selected because of their different conductive capabilities. The initial concentrations of pyrene in these soil samples were 261.3mg/kg sandy soil and 259.8 mg/kg loam soil. After treatment of the sandy soil and loam soil for seven days, 56.8% and 20.1% of the pyrene had been removed respectively. Under the same power supply voltage, the removal of the pollutant from the sandy soil was greater than that from the loam soil, due to the higher current and lower pH. Further analysis revealed that the effectiveness of electrokinetic remediation was affected by the energy expenditure, and was associated with changes in soil properties. PMID:25458684

Electrokinetic processes provide the basis of a range of very interesting techniques for the remediation of polluted soils. These techniques consist of the application of a current field in the soil that develops different transport mechanisms capable of mobilizing several types of pollutants. However, the use of these techniques could generate nondesirable effects related to the geomechanical behavior of the soil, reducing the effectiveness of the processes. In the case of the remediation of polluted soils with plasticity index higher than 35, an excessive shrinkage can be observed in remediation test. For this reason, the continued evaporation that takes place in the sample top can lead to the development of cracks, distorting the electrokinetic transport regime, and consequently, the development of the operation. On the other hand, when analyzing silty soils, in the surroundings of injection surfactant wells, high seepages can be generated that give rise to the development of piping processes. In this article methods are described to allow a reduction, or to even eliminate, both problems. PMID:26488188

This program seeks the development of capillary electrokinetic separation techniques and associated optical methods of detection. Fundamental studies of pertinent separation and band broadening mechanisms are being conducted, with the emphasis on understanding systems that include highly-ordered assemblies as running buffer additives. The additives include cyclodextrins, affinity reagents, and soluble (entangled) polymers and are employed with capillary electrophoresis, CE and/or micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, MECC modes of separation. The utility of molecular modeling techniques for predicting the effects of highly ordered assemblies on the retention behavior of isomeric compounds is under investigation. The feasibility of performing separations using a non-aqueous solvent/fullerene electrochromatographic system is being explored. The analytical methodologies associated with these capillary separation techniques are being advanced through the development of retention programming instumentation/techniques and new strategies for performing optical detection. The advantages of laser fluorimetry are extended through the inclusion of fluorogenic, reagents in the running buffer. These reagents include oligonucleotide intercalation reagents for detecting DNA fragments. Chemiluminescence detection using post-capillary reactors/flow cells is also in progress. Successful development of these separation and detection systems will fill current voids in the capabilities of capillary separation techniques.

A possibility of using capillary electrophoresis for separation of anacardic acids (6-alkylsalicylic acids) has been studied. Conventional micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) in non-coated fused silica capillaries and reversed-flow micellar electrokinetic chromatography (RF-MEKC) in capillaries coated with polydimethylacrylamide was applied for separation of anacardic acids extracted from cashew nuts. Influence of the composition of background electrolyte on the resolution of anacardic acid isomers was evaluated. Separations were performed using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) micelles and mixed micelles of SDS and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether as a pseudostationary phase. To further improve the separation in RF-MEKC, beta-cyclodextrin and a dual cyclodextrin system of beta-cyclodextrin with heptakis-6-sulphato-beta-cyclodextrin was added to the working electrolyte. Best separation of anacardic acids were achieved in the polydimethylacrylamide-coated capillary using 10 mM phosphate background electrolyte pH 6.5 with addition of 1 M urea, 20% acetonitrile, 10 mM of beta-cyclodextrin and 1 mM of heptakis-6-sulfo-beta-cyclodextrin. Mass spectrometry was used for the identification of anacardic acids in the extract from cashew nuts in single and tandem mode using Q-TOF instrument. Nine anacardic acids were identified in the extract form the cashew nuts. PMID:16530208

To simultaneously avoid a decrease of electro-osmotic flow by hydrogen ions and to increase heavy metal precipitation due to hydroxide ions, simulated electrokinetic remediation was conducted in saturated kaolinite specimens loaded with lead(II) using an electrolyte circulation method to control electrolyte pH. At an electrolyte circulation rate of 1.1 ml/min, it was possible to increase the anolyte pH from 2 to 4 and decrease the catholyte pH from 12 to 8. Using electrolyte circulation, it was observed that the rate of decrease of clay pH due to the change of electrolyte pH was reduced. As a result, the operable period was extended and the removal efficiency for lead(II) was also increased. It was observed that most of the effluent lead(II) from the cathode compartment was electroplated onto the cathode and that residual effluent lead(II) did not precipitate onto, or adsorb to, the clay at the anode compartment during circulation. Therefore, there was no need to treat the electrolyte because there was virtually no effluent from the cathode compartment in the circulation system. It was also found that the electrolyte volume required to sustain the electrolytic reaction was sufficient for the whole electrokinetic remediation process. PMID:10946130

The present paper was to investigate the effect of Fe(0) reaction barrier position and Fe(0) quantity on the remediation efficiency and electrokinetic performances of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contaminated clay under potential gradient of 2 V/cm for 5 days. The Fe(0) reaction barrier was composed of 2 to approximately 16 g of Fe(0) mixed with Ottawa sand in a ratio of 1: 2. Its positions were respectively located at the anode, the middle, and the cathode end of the electrokinetic cell. Results showed that a relatively higher remediation of 66% of PCE was found as the Fe(0) reaction barrier located at the cathode side, which corresponded to a factor 2.4 times greater than that in the EK system alone (27.0%). As the Fe(0) quantity increased to 16 g, a highest remediation efficiency of 90.7% was found. It was concluded that the PCE removal in the EK/Fe(0) system was dominated by Fe(0) quantity rather than the Fe(0) reaction barrier position. As more Fe(0) existed in the EK system, a higher electroosmosis flow, higher permeability, and lower soil pH after treatment were found. The cost analyses were also investigated in this research. PMID:16749444

The potential of electrokinetic remediation technology has been successfully demonstrated for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated fine-grained soils through laboratory scale and field application studies. Various enhancement techniques have been proposed and used in order to further improve the remediation process. However, it has been reported that such enhancement schemes can create other obstacles, such as the introduction of non-target ions into the system and thereby decrease the efficiency of the remediation process. Electrokinetic soil remediation technology enhanced by an ion exchange membrane (IEM), IEM-enhanced EK processing, was experimentally evaluated for the purpose of overcoming these obstacles. In particular, this study focused on observations of a fouling problem and its settlement using an auxiliary solution cell (ASC). In addition, the efficacies of two different types of electrode configurations, rectangular and cylindrical, were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the effectiveness of the technology was increased by an enhancement scheme using an IEM. This may be explained by the prevention of metal precipitation in the region near the cathode originating from hydroxide ions generated by the electrolysis of water in the cathode. The experimental results also imply that placement of the ASC can nullify the fouling problem within the cation exchange membranes used in IEM-enhanced EK processing, and thus improve the overall effectiveness of the process. The experimental results indicate that the cylindrical electrode configuration can be implemented in practical situations to improve the treatability of cathode effluent containing a high level of contaminants after processing. PMID:15721533

A new process for the removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] contaminated soil is described. The process provides for an efficient removal of anionic chemicals from contaminated soils. Chromate anions were removed from the soil to the anodic reservoir by the moving force of electromigration. In this process, the chromate anions that accumulate in the anodic reservoir are simultaneously eliminated by using a column packed adsorbent. The adsorbent (immobilized tannin) used was chemically incorporated into cellulose. Cr(VI) was found to be adsorbed to this adsorbent efficiently. In the electrokinetic process, the pH of the aqueous solution in the anodic reservoir was decreased by the electrolysis of water. In the present study, the pH of the solution in the anodic reservoir is maintained at pH 6 by the addition of an aqueous alkaline solution during the electrokinetic process. The advantage of pH control is that it promotes the release of Cr(VI) from the soil by electromigration, thus permitting the maximum adsorption of Cr(VI) on the immobilized tannin. Simultaneous collection of Cr(VI) from the anodic reservoir leads to the protection from secondary contamination with Cr(VI). PMID:15120432

A novel approach for the direct injection from plant tissues without any sample pre-treatment has been developed by simply placing a small piece of the tissue into a capillary electrophoresis vial followed by application of a voltage for electrokinetic injection. Separations of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were achieved using a BGE comprising 10mM imidazole and 2.5mM 18-crown-6-ether at pH 4.5. The addition of 2% (m/v) hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose to the separation buffer allowed for precise and accurate electrokinetic injection of ions from the plant material by halting the movement of tissue fluid into the capillary. This method provides both qualitative and quantitative data of inorganic cations, with quantitation in zucchini, mushroom and apple samples in agreement with Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometric analysis (r(2)=0.98, n=9). This method provides a new way for rapid, quantitative analysis by eliminating sample preparation procedures, and has great potential for a range of applications in plant science and food chemistry. PMID:26422302

We present an experimental study of micro- and nanofluidic electrokinetic injection and separation in borosilcate channels as a method for characterizing size and zeta potential of biomolecules-specifically polyethlylene glycol (PEG), keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH), and pegylated KLH. While pegylation (the conjugation of proteins with PEG) is an established technique for enhancing a protein's therapeutic properties, reliable characterization of these conjugations by traditional analysis techniques (i.e. gel-electrophoresis, zetasizer) remains a challenge. Using a three-step electrokinetic sequence (load, gate, and inject), FITC labeled species and a fluorescein tracer dye are injected into a channel where they separate according to differences in electrophoretic mobility. We find the average absolute mobility of pegylated subunit KLH in 1 micron channels to be 56% that of unpegylated subunit KLH. In a 250 nm channel, we measure a 33% shift in the average absolute mobility of PEG dendrimers as compared to measurements in a 1 micron channel. These results begin to demonstrate how a micro- and nanofluidic-based approach might address the demand for effective and accessible nanoparticle characterization platforms. Supported by the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies.

The present study evaluated the coupling interactions between bioremediation (BIO) and electrokinetics (EK) in the remediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by using bio-electrokinetics (BIO-EK) with a rotatory 2-D electric field. The results demonstrated an obvious positive correlation between the degradation extents of TPH and electric intensity both in the EK and BIO-EK tests. The use of BIO-EK showed a significant improvement in degradation of TPH as compared to BIO or EK alone. The actual degradation curve in BIO-EK tests fitted well with the simulated curve obtained by combining the degradation curves in BIO- and EK-only tests during the first 60 d, indicating a superimposed effect of biological degradation and electrochemical stimulation. The synergistic effect was particularly expressed during the later phase of the experiment, concurrent with changes in the microbial community structure. The community composition changed mainly according to the duration of the electric field, leading to a reduction in diversity. No significant spatial shifts in microbial community composition and bacterial numbers were detected among different sampling positions. Soil pH was uniform during the experimental process, soil temperature showed no variations between the soil chambers with and without an electric field. PMID:24613072

We report on the advanced implementation of the biprimary color system in applications where subtractive color is performed inside a single pixel to alter the magnitude and color of reflection (electronic paper displays) or the optical transmission and color temperature (smart windows). A novel device structure can switch between four states: clear, black, either of two complementary colors from RGB and CMY sets, and also mixed states between one of these four states. The device structure utilizes an electrokinetic pixel structure, which combines the spectral performance of in-plane electrophoretic devices with the improved switching speeds of vertical electrophoresis. The electrophoretic dispersions are dual-particle dual-colored and are controlled using two traditional planar electrokinetic electrodes on the front and back substrates, along with a third electrode conveniently located at the perimeter of each unit cell. Demonstrated performance includes contrast ratios reaching ~10∶1, reflectance of ~62%, and transparency of ~75%. For electronic paper displays, these results provide a pathway to double the reflective performance compared to the traditional RGBW color-filter approach. For smart windows, the technology provides not only control of shade (transmission) but also provides complete control over color temperature. Furthermore, this three-electrode device can be roll-to-roll fabricated without need for any alignment steps, requiring only a single micro-replication step followed by self-aligned contact printing of the third electrode. PMID:26192867

A no-moving-parts-valve (NMPV) with a diffuser width of D = 500 microns was investigated in this study by numerical simulations at Reynolds numbers, ReD, ranging from 20 to 75, and expansion valve angles ranging from 30° < θ1 < 57° and 110° < θ2 < 120°. The Dp,i value, 1.02 < Dp,i < 1.14, is larger within the proposed range of the expansion valve angles. A flow channel structure with a depth of 500 micron is manufactured using yellow light lithography in this study. From prior analyses and experiments, it is found that piezoelectric films work better at a buzz driving frequency of f < 30Hz and the best operating frequency is at a driving frequency of f = 10Hz because it produces the largest net flow. In addition, the expansion angles θ1 = 30° and θ2 = 120° are the best expansion angles because they produce the largest net flow. These related results are very helpful for the actual design of no-moving-parts-valve micro-pump. PMID:22412332

Electrokinetics is an innovative technique for treating heavy metals contaminated soil, especially low pH soils such as the Chinese red soil (Udic Ferrisols). In this paper, a Cu-Zn contaminated red soil is treated by electrokinetics. When the Cu-Zn contaminated red soil was treated without control of catholyte pH during the electrokinetic treatment, the soil pH in the soil sections near cathode after the experiment was high above 6, which resulted in accumulation of large amounts of Cu and Zn in the soil sections with such high pH values. Compared to soil Cu, soil Zn was more efficiently removed from the soil by a controlled electrokinetic method. Application of lactic acid as catholyte pH conditioning solution caused an efficient removal of Cu and Zn from the soil. Increasing the electrolyte strength (salt concentration) of the conditioning solution further increased Cu removal, but did not cause a significant improvement for soil Zn. Soil Cu and Zn fractions after the electrokinetic treatments were analyzed using sequential extraction method, which indicated that Cu and Zn precipitation in the soil section closest to the cathode in the treatments without catholyte pH control limited their removal from the soil column. When the catholyte pH was controlled by lactic acid and CaCl(2), the soil Cu and Zn removal percentage after 554 h running reached 63% and 65%, respectively. Moreover, both the residual soil Cu and Zn concentrations were lower than 100 mg kg(-1), which is adequate and meets the requirement of the Chinese soil environmental quality standards. PMID:16202805

Borehole electrokinetic wavefields have been theoretically simulated and experimentally recorded. However, it is still challenging to explain some of the signals in the full seismoeletric waveform. Similarly, while earthquake coseismic electric and magnetic signals were recorded and theoretically modeled, there are some basic questions to be answered regarding the formulation of the earthquake electrokinetic field. First, an electromagnetic signal appears at the same time in all recorded full waveforms when an acoustic wave is incident on the borehole wall or an interface between two porous media. Is it a traveling electromagnetic wave or a field? This is explained by a comparison between the waveforms obtained by solving the full Pride equations and those by a quasi-static approximation to the seismic-to-electric conversion. Second, a magnetic signal accompanies the borehole P-wave. Does that contradicts to Pride's prediction that no magnetic signal travels with a P-wave? We will show that the borehole P-wave consists of plane fast-P, slow-P and shear waves. It is the plane S-wave that brings about the magnetic field. Thirdly, it was proposed that there were no seismoelectric signal accompanying the collar wave during seismoelectric logging while drilling, because the electrokinetic conversion occurs only in the porous formation. Why there is an electric signal accompanies the acoustic collar wave? A detailed study of the acoustic field in the formation reveals that there is a wave propagates with the collar wave speed in the formation. This wave is present in the calculated full waveforms, either by the discrete wavenumber method or by the finite-difference-time-domain algorithm. That explains the existence of a noise signal with collar-wave speed in the full waveform of the electric field recorded during seismoelectric logging while drilling. Finally, an earthquake is usually modeled by a double couple in an elastic medium, and the displacement field is

In recent years different electrokinetic cell models for concentrated colloidal suspensions in aqueous electrolyte solutions have been developed. They share some of its premises with the standard electrokinetic model for dilute colloidal suspensions, in particular, neglecting both the specific role of the so-called added counterions (i.e., those released by the particles to the solution as they get charged), and the realistic chemistry of the aqueous solution on such electrokinetic phenomena as electrophoresis and electrical conductivity. These assumptions, while having been accepted for dilute conditions (volume fractions of solids well below 1%, say), are now questioned when dealing with concentrated suspensions. In this work, we present a general electrokinetic cell model for such kind of systems, including the mentioned effects, and we also carry out a comparative study with the standard treatment (the standard solution only contains the ions that one purposely adds, without ionic contributions from particle charging or water chemistry). We also consider an intermediate model that neglects the realistic aqueous chemistry of the solution but accounts for the correct contribution of the added counterions. The results show the limits of applicability of the classical assumptions and allow one to better understand the relative role of the added counterions and ions stemming from the electrolyte in a realistic aqueous solution, on electrokinetic properties. For example, at low salt concentrations the realistic effects of the aqueous solution are the dominant ones, while as salt concentration is increased, it is this that progressively takes the control of the electrokinetic response for low to moderate volume fractions. As expected, if the solids concentration is high enough the added counterions will play the dominant role (more important the higher the particle surface charge), no matter the salt concentration if it is not too high. We hope this work can help in

Separation of phenols as neutral solutes by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography provides a quantitative linear dynamic range of 6000-13,000. Since the compounds are injected and separated as neutral solutes, the dispersive processes of anti-stacking and electrodispersion are eliminated. Optimized conditions allow for sub-ppm quantitation of trace impurities in the presence of the major components at various stages of the production of high purity phenols. The background electrolyte consists of 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate in 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7. The method is precise, reliable, and the limits of detection are superior compared to HPLC by a factor of 20. PMID:14558623

Dietary supplements are growing in popularity as a source of catechins such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The first determination of five catechins in green tea extract dietary supplements using an extraction followed by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with UV detection is presented here. The optimum run buffer is 5 mM borate-60 mM phosphate with 50 mM SDS at pH 7.00 with detection at 210 nm. The limit of detection is 2-3 microg/mL (S/N=3) and the limit of quantitation is 6-8 microg/mL (S/N = 10). Results indicate that the amount of catechins varies greatly among manufacturers, between capsules of the same manufacturers, and between batches. PMID:16600259

Catechins in green tea are known to have many beneficial health properties. Recently, it has been suggested that matcha has greater potential health benefits than other green teas. Matcha is a special powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. However, there has been no investigation to quantitate the catechin intake from matcha compared to common green teas. We have developed a rapid method of analysis of five catechins and caffeine in matcha using micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Results are presented for water and methanol extractions of matcha compared with water extraction of a popular green tea. Using a mg catechin/g of dry leaf comparison, results indicate that the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from China Green Tips green tea, and at least three times higher than the largest literature value for other green teas. PMID:14518774

Electrokinetic supercharging (EKS) combines field-amplified sample injection with transient isotachophoresis (tITP) to create a powerful on-line preconcentration technique for capillary electrophoresis. In this work, EKS is enhanced with a positive pressure (pressure-assisted EKS, or PA-EKS) during injection to improve stacking of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Several parameters, including buffer composition and concentration, terminating electrolyte, organic modifier, and injection voltage and injection time of both terminating electrolyte and sample were optimized. Detection limits for seven NSAIDs were determined and an enhancement in sensitivity of almost 50,000-fold was obtained. The PA-EKS method has the potential to be a simple MS compatible preconcentration method to improve the sensitivity of CE. PMID:21855878

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) is a CE separation technique, which utilizes buffered microemulsions as the separation media. In the past two decades, MEEKC has blossomed into a powerful separation technique for the analysis of a wide range of compounds. Pseudostationary phase composition is so critical to successful resolution in EKC, and several variables could be optimized including surfactant/co-surfactant/oil type and concentration, buffer content, and pH value. Additionally, MEEKC coupled with online sample preconcentration approaches could significantly improve the detection sensitivity. This review comprehensively describes the development of MEEKC from the period 1991 to 2012. Areas covered include basic theory, microemulsion composition, improving resolution and enhancing sensitivity methods, detection techniques, and applications of MEEKC. PMID:23463608

This multifarious research program is dedicated to the development of capillary electrokinetic separation techniques and associated optical methods of detection. Currently, research is directed at three general objectives. First, fundamental studies of pertinent separation and band broadening mechanisms are being conducted, with the emphasis on achieving rapid separations and understanding separation systems that include highly-ordered assemblies as running buffer additives. Second, instrumentation and methodologies associated with these capillary separation techniques are being advanced. Third, applications of these separation and detection systems should fill current voids in the capabilities of capillary separation techniques. In particular, it should be possible to perform rapid, highly efficient, and selective separations of hydrophobic compounds (e.g., higher MW polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes), certain optical isomers, DNA fragments, and various pollutants including certain heavy metals.

We devise a new approach for capturing complex interfacial interactions over reduced length scales, towards predicting electrokinetic energy conversion efficiencies of nanofluidic devices. By embedding several aspects of intermolecular interactions in continuum based formalism, we show that our simple theory becomes capable of representing complex interconnections between electro-mechanics and hydrodynamics over reduced length scales. The predictions from our model are supported by reported experimental data, and are in excellent quantitative agreement with molecular dynamics simulations. The present model, thus, may be employed to rationalize the discrepancies between low energy conversion efficiencies of nanofluidic channels that have been realized from experiments, and the impractically high energy conversion efficiencies that have been routinely predicted by the existing theories. PMID:26437925

This paper presents improvement in lead (Pb) recovery and sulphate removal from used Pb acid battery (ULAB) through Electrokinetic technique, a process aimed to eliminate environmental pollution that arises due to emission of gases and metal particles from the existing high temperature pyrometallurgical process. Two different cell configurations, (1) one with Nafion membrane placed between anode and middle compartments and Agar membrane between cathode and middle compartments and (2) another with only Agar membrane placed between both sides of the middle compartments were designed for the Pb and sulphate separation from ULAB. This paper concludes that the cell with only Agar membranes performed better than the cell with Nafion and Agar membranes in combinations and also explains the mechanism underlying the chemical and electrochemical processes in the cell. PMID:22483596

A new computational method is presented for study suspensions of charged particles undergoing fluctuating hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions. The proposed model is appropriate for polymers, proteins, and porous particles embedded in a continuum electrolyte. A self-consistent Langevin description of the particles is adopted in which hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions are included through a Green's function formalism. An Ewald-like split is adopted in order to satisfy arbitrary boundary conditions for the Stokeslet and Poisson Green functions, thereby providing a formalism that is applicable to any geometry and that can be extended to deformable objects. The convection-diffusion equation for the continuum ions is solved simultaneously considering Nernst-Planck diffusion. The method can be applied to systems at equilibrium and far from equilibrium. Its applicability is demonstrated in the context of electrokinetic motion, where it is shown that the ionic clouds associated with individual particles can be severely altered by the flow and concentration, leading to intriguing cooperative effects.

On-line micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC)-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) is demonstrated for the analysis of chlorotriazine herbicides and barbiturates. In this study, the micellar velocity is directly manipulated by the adjustment of electroosmosis rather than the electrophoretic velocity of the micelle. The electroosmotic flow is adjusted against the electrophoretic velocity of the micelle by changing the solution pH in MEKC. The elimination of MEKC surfactant introduction into ESIMS is achieved with an anodically migrating micelle, moving away from the electrospray interface. The effects of moving surfactant boundary in the MEKC capillary on separation efficiency and resolution of triazine herbicides and barbiturates are investigated. The mass detection of herbicides and barbiturates sequentially eluted from the MEKC capillary is acquired using the positive and negative electrospray modes, respectively. 30 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

We report the calculation of all the transfer coefficients which couple the solvent and ionic fluxes through a charged pore under the effect of pressure, electrostatic potential, and concentration gradients. We use a combination of analytical calculations at the Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes levels of description and mesoscopic lattice simulations based on kinetic theory. In the absence of added salt, i.e., when the only ions present in the fluid are the counterions compensating the charge of the surface, exact analytical expressions for the fluxes in cylindrical pores allow us to validate a new lattice-Boltzmann electrokinetics (LBE) scheme which accounts for the osmotic contribution to the transport of all species. The influence of simulation parameters on the numerical accuracy is thoroughly investigated. In the presence of an added salt, we assess the range of validity of approximate expressions of the fluxes computed from the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation by a systematic comparison with LBE simulations.

An experimental method for calibration of optical trap force upon cells by use of electrokinetic phenomena is demonstrated. An electronkinetic sample chamber system (ESCS) is designed instead of a common sample chamber and a costly automatism stage, thus the experimental setup is simpler and cheaper. Experiments indicate that the range of the trap force measured by this method is piconewton and sub-piconewton, which makes it fit for study on non-damage interaction between light and biological particles with optical tweezers especially. Since this method is relevant to particle electric charge, by applying an alternating electric field, the new method may overcome the problem of correcting drag force and allow us to measure simultaneously optical trap stiffness and particle electric charge.

Ischemic stroke is caused when blood flow to the brain is stopped and is a major cause of death and long term disability across the globe. Excessive release of neurotransmitters is triggered in the brain by ischemia that mediates neuronal damage and causes ischemic injury. In this study, a simple, sensitive, and on-line preconcentration capillary electrophoresis method based on electrokinetic supercharging (EKS) was developed for the determination of the biogenic amines including dopamine (DA), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) in C57BL/6 mice brain. Under the optimized conditions, the analytes were concentrated and detected within 10 min. The detection limits for the analytes ranged from 0.42 to 0.57 ng mL(-1) for a mice brain matrix. With the proposed method, the analyses of three neurochemical amines in C57BL/6 mice brain tissue during cerebral ischemic/reperfusion had been performed successfully. PMID:26658278

An electrokinetic electrode assembly is described for use in extraction of soil contaminants from unsaturated soil in situ. The assembly includes a housing for retaining a liquid comprising an electrolyte solution, pure water, and soil water, the housing being in part of porous material capable of holding a vacuum. An electrode is mounted in the housing. The housing is provided with a vacuum orifice for effecting a vacuum within the housing selectively to control flow of soil water through the housing into the chamber and to control outflow of the liquid from the chamber. The assembly further includes conduit means for removing the liquid from the housing and returning the electrolyte solution to the housing, and a conduit for admitting pure water to the housing. An electrode system and method are also revealed for extraction of soil contaminants. The system and method utilize at least two electrode assemblies as described above. 5 figs.

There is presented an electrokinetic electrode assembly for use in extraction of soil contaminants from unsaturated soil in situ. The assembly includes a housing for retaining a liquid comprising an electrolyte solution, pure water, and soil water, the housing being in part of porous material capable of holding a vacuum. An electrode is mounted in the housing. The housing is provided with a vacuum orifice for effecting a vacuum within the housing selectively to control flow of soil water through the housing into the chamber and to control outflow of the liquid from the chamber. The assembly further includes conduit means for removing the liquid from the housing and returning the electrolyte solution to the housing, and a conduit for admitting pure water to the housing. There is further presented an electrode system and method for extraction of soil contaminants, the system and method utilizing at least two electrode assemblies as described above.

Human, bovine, and porcine insulins are small proteins with very closely related amino acid sequences, which makes their separation challenging. In this study, we took advantage of the high-resolution power of CE, and more particularly of micellar electrokinetic chromatography, to separate those biomolecules. Among several surfactants, perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium salt was selected. Then, using a design of experiments approach, the optimal BGE composition was found to consist of 50 mM ammonium acetate pH 9.0, 65 mM perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium salt, and 4% MeOH. The three insulins could be separated within 12 min with a satisfactory resolution. This method could be useful to detect possible counterfeit pharmaceutical formulations. Indeed, it would be easy to determine if human insulin was replaced by bovine or porcine insulin. PMID:26095856

Electrokinetics is an emerging soil remediation technology. Contaminants are extracted from the soil as a result of a complex set of phenomena that occur when an electric gradient is imposed across a soil-water system. The primary phenomena include electroosmosis, electromigration, and electrophoresis. Secondary phenomena, such as changes in solubility or speciation of various chemical components, may occur as a result of electrically induced changes in the chemical environment of the system. Numerous factors, such as temperature, may affect each of these phenomena and, consequently, the overall process efficiency. We have begun an investigation of thermal effects in the extraction of potassium dichromate from kaolinite soils under conditions of constant saturation and dewatering. Preliminary results suggest that increasing the soil temperature from 21 to 55{degrees}C may decrease the processing time under saturated conditions. However, increasing the soil temperature under dewatering, conditions causes soil cracking, which reduces the overall process efficiency.

Electrokinetic (EK) migration of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), which is inclusive of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), is an economically beneficial and environmentally friendly remediation process for oil-contaminated soils. Remediation studies of oil-contaminated soils generally prepared samples using particular TPHs. This study investigates the removal of TPHs from, and electromigration of microbial cells in field samples via EK remediation. Both TPH content and soil respiration declined after the EK remediation process. The strains in the original soil sample included Bacillus sp., Sporosarcina sp., Beta proteobacterium, Streptomyces sp., Pontibacter sp., Azorhizobium sp., Taxeobacter sp., and Williamsia sp. Electromigration of microbial cells reduced the biodiversity of the microbial community in soil following EK remediation. At 200 V m(-1) for 10 days, 36% TPH was removed, with a small population of microbial cells flushed out, demonstrating that EK remediation is effective for the present oil-contaminated soils collected in field. PMID:21052991

A test mixture of five pesticides and metabolites (naphthalene acetamide, carbaryl, 1-naphthol, thiabendazole, and carbendazime) has been investigated by capillary electrophoresis with an ultraviolet diode array detector. These compounds were separated in <10 min by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC). MEKC was performed in 30 mM ammonium chloride/ammonia buffer (pH 9.0) containing 15 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate. The lowest detection limit was obtained for the insecticide carbaryl (0.22 microg mL(-)(1)) and the highest for its metabolite 1-naphthol (1.13 microg mL(-)(1)). This method was applied to the analysis of the pesticides in cultivated vegetables such as cucumbers, which were extracted with a liquid-liquid extraction procedure, obtaining recovery percentages ranging from 90.1 to 110.2%. PMID:15366822

The aim of the studies was to determine, how the zeta potential and particle size of nanofillers affect the stability of the dispersion of nanoparticles in the electroinsulating varnish, and consequently can influence the varnish properties. We have investigated the nanofillers that had been used for the preparation of nanocomposites in our earlier works. It has been found that in toluene the zeta potential of all nanofillers is much increased. It enables modifying of nanofillers. Correlation between the properties of the nanocomposite and the results of the particle size measurements has been observed. Thus studies of electrokinetic properties can be used during the preparation of nanocomposites, as well to determine the factors affecting the nanoparticles deagglomeration and a preliminary determination of the optimal technological parameters of process of preparing of nanocomposites.

Nanobubbles are gas-filled features that spontaneously form at the interface of hydrophobic surfaces and aqueous solutions. In this study, an atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to characterize the morphology of nanobubbles formed on hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) films immersed in DI water, saline, saline with oxygen and an electrokinetically altered saline solution produced with Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille flow under elevated oxygen pressure. AFM force spectroscopy was used to evaluate hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces and boundary slip condition in various fluids. The effect of solution, electric field and surface charge on shape, size and density of nanobubbles as well as slip length was quantified and the results and underlying mechanisms are presented in this paper. PMID:23123096

Electrokinetic Nanoparticle (EN) treatment was used as a rapid repair measure to mitigate chloride induced corrosion of reinforced concrete in the field. EN treatment uses an electric field to transport positively charged nanoparticles to the reinforcement through the concrete capillary pores. Cylindrical reinforced concrete specimens were batched with 4.5 wt % salt content (based on cement mass). Three distinct electrokinetic treatments were conducted using high current density (up to 5 A/m2) to form a chloride penetration barrier that was established in 5 days, as opposed to the traditional 6-8 weeks, generally required for electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE). These treatments included basic EN treatment, EN with additional calcium treatment, and basic ECE treatment. Field exposures were conducted at the NASA Beachside Corrosion Test Site, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. The specimens were subjected to sea water immersion at the test site as a posttreatment exposure. Following a 30-day post-treatment exposure period, the specimens were subjected to indirect tensile testing to evaluate treatment impact. The EN treated specimens exhibited 60% and 30% increases in tensile strength as compared to the untreated controls and ECE treated specimens respectively. The surfaces of the reinforcement bars of the control specimens were 67% covered by corrosion products. In contrast, the EN treated specimens exhibited corrosion coverage of only 4%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a dense concrete microstructure adjacent to the bars of the treated specimens as compared to the control and ECE specimens. Energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) analysis of the polished EN treated specimens showed a reduction in chloride content by a factor of 20 adjacent to the bars. This study demonstrated that EN treatment was successful in forming a chloride penetration barrier rapidly. This work also showed that the chloride barrier was effective when samples were exposed to

A CE-MS method has been developed to detect trace levels of potentially genotoxic alkyl halides. After derivatization of the target components with 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) or butyl 1-(pyridinyl-4yl) piperidine 4-carboxylate (BPPC), the natively positively charged derivatives are pre-concentrated by applying electrokinetic injection and separated by a highly efficient CZE method using a background electrolyte (BGE) consisting of 100mM of TRIS adjusted to pH 2.5 with phosphoric acid. Using a sheath liquid interface, subsequent MS detection allows highly specific and sensitive analysis of alkyl halides. Conditions for electrokinetic injection were optimized to allow selective and effective injection. Injection of samples with low water content at 10 kV for 150 s using a high concentration of buffer in the BGE resulted in optimum sample stacking during injection and a highly efficient CE separation. At the sample pH applied, neutral and negatively charged components are shown to be selectively discarded, resulting in injection of positively charged ions only. The sample matrix influences the efficiency of the injection, but when using an internal standard, reproducibilities better than 10% RSD are obtained. Relative recoveries of the derivatives spiked to different types of model API between 85 and 115% demonstrate that the method can be applied for quantitative analysis. Detection limits of lower than 1 mg kg(-1) for the tested alkyl halides obtained in CE-MS at least equal the sensitivity obtained in LC-MS. The CE-MS method is a valuable alternative for the LC-MS method used for analysis of alkylation compounds. PMID:25910449

The current theoretical approaches to electrokinetics of gels or polyelectrolyte layers are based on the assumption that the position of the very interface between the aqueous medium and the gel phase is well defined. Within this assumption, spatial profiles for the volume fraction of polymer segments (phi), the density of fixed charges in the porous layer (rho fix), and the coefficient modeling the friction to hydrodynamic flow (k) follow a step-function. In reality, the "fuzzy" nature of the charged soft layer is intrinsically incompatible with the concept of a sharp interface and therefore necessarily calls for more detailed spatial representations for phi, rho fix, and k. In this paper, the notion of diffuse interface is introduced. For the sake of illustration, linear spatial distributions for phi and rho fix are considered in the interfacial zone between the bulk of the porous charged layer and the bulk electrolyte solution. The corresponding distribution for k is inferred from the Brinkman equation, which for low phi reduces to Stokes' equation. Linear electrostatics, hydrodynamics, and electroosmosis issues are analytically solved within the context of streaming current and streaming potential of charged surface layers in a thin-layer cell. The hydrodynamic analysis clearly demonstrates the physical incorrectness of the concept of a discrete slip plane for diffuse interfaces. For moderate to low electrolyte concentrations and nanoscale spatial transition of phi from zero (bulk electrolyte) to phi o (bulk gel), the electrokinetic properties of the soft layer as predicted by the theory considerably deviate from those calculated on the basis of the discontinuous approximation by Ohshima. PMID:15518532

The steroids, hydrocortisone, androstenedione, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, 17-α-methyltestosterone, and progesterone were separated with microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and detected with UV absorption. The microemulsion phases were prepared from both artificial and vegetable oils, from them the first was made of alkane and alcohol and the latter from colza, olive, linseed, and walnut oils. The electrolyte solutions were made to emulsions using sodium dodecyl sulfate and alkaline tetraborate. The solution mixtures made from ethyl acetate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1-butanol, acetonitrile, and sodium tetraborate were used as the reference solutions to evaluate the performance of the vegetable oil emulsions. Our study showed that the lipophilic organic phase in the microemulsion did provide resolution improvements but not selectivity changes. The results also correlate with real interactions of the steroids with the lipophilic organic microemulsion phase. The quality of the oils between the manufacturers did not have importance, which was noticed from the equal behavior of the steroids in the vegetable oil emulsions. Detection limits of the steroids in vegetable oil emulsions were at the level of 0.20-0.43μg/L. Thus, they were 2-10 times higher than the concentrations in the partial filling micellar electrokinetic chromatography (PF-MEKC), which we have obtained earlier. The repeatability (RSD%) of the electrophoretic mobilities of the steroids was between 0.50 and 3.70. The RSD% values between the inter-day separations were below 1%, but when walnut and olive oils were used the values exceeded even 10%. PMID:24355214

The effects of ion partitioning on the electrokinetics in a polyelectrolyte grafted nanochannel, which is the representative of a soft nanochannel, are analyzed. Earlier studies in this regard have considered low polyelectrolyte layer (PEL) grafting density at the rigid nanochannel wall and, hence, an equal permittivity inside and outside the grafted layer. In order to overcome this shortcoming, the concept of Born energy is revisited. The coupled system of the modified Poisson-Boltzmann and Navier-Stokes equation is solved numerically, going beyond the widely employed Debye-Hückel linearization and low PEL densities. The complex interplay between the hydrodynamics and charge distribution, modulated by the ion partitioning effect, along with their consequent effects on the streaming potential and electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency (EKEC) have been systemically investigated. It has been observed that the ion partitioning effect reduces the EKEC in comparison to the case with equal permittivity up to a certain electrical double layer thickness after which it increases the EKEC. For a high concentration of mobile charges within the PEL, the net gain in the maximum EKEC due to the ion partitioning effect is about 10 fold that of the case when the ion partitioning effect is not considered. We delve into the various scaling regimes in the streaming potential and intriguingly point out the exact location of peaks in efficiency. The present study also reveals the possibility of improvement in streaming potential mediated energy conversion by the use of polyelectrolyte materials, which possess substantially lower dielectric permittivity than the bulk electrolyte. PMID:27306568

Streaming-potentials are produced by electrokinetic effects in relation to fluid flow, and are used for geophysical prospecting. The electrokinetic coupling is induced by the coupling between the fluid flow and the electrical flow, which results from the presence of an electrical double layer at the rock/pore water interface. When fluid flows through a porous medium, it gives rise to an electric streaming current, counterbalanced by a conduction current, leading to a resulting measurable electrical voltage. Streaming current generation is well understood in water-saturated porous media, but the streaming potential coefficient at very-low and very-high salinities can show a non-linear behaviour. The aim of this study is to model the streaming potential coefficient using Lattice Boltzmann simulations and to quantify the effect of parameters such as fluid conductivity and rugosity. The lattice Boltzmann method is computational fluid dynamics technique that allows to solve advection and diffusion phenomena. We implement a coupled lattice Boltzmann algorithm that solves both the flow in a rock channel and the electrical diffusion to calculate the streaming potential coefficient (ratio between the created potential difference and the applied pressure gradient) in various situations. In this study, we aim at quantifying the change that is brought by taking into account the dependence of the local fluid conductivity on the local concentration. We also observe the influence of a rough surface on the behaviour of this coefficient with the fluid salinity. We try to generate non-linearities regarding the theoretical prediction of the streaming potential coefficient with a view to explaining existing experimental measurements.

The feasibility of the electrokinetic-Fenton technology coupled with surfactants in the treatment of real historically hydrocarbons polluted soils has been studied. The characterisation of these soils from Spain and Romania was performed and identified as diesel and diesel-motor oil spillages, respectively. Moreover, the ageing of the spillages produced by the soil contamination was estimated showing the historical pollution of the sites (around 11 and 20 years for Romanian and Spanish soils, respectively). An ex-situ electrochemical treatment was performed to evaluate the adequacy of surfactants for the degradation of the hydrocarbons present in the soils. It was found an enhancement in the solubilisation and removal of TPHs with percentages increasing from 25.7 to 81.8% by the presence of Tween 80 for Spanish soil and from 15.1% to 71.6% for Triton X100 in Romanian soil. Therefore, the viability of coupling enhanced electrokinetic and Fenton remediation was evaluated through a simulated in-situ treatment at laboratory scale. The results demonstrated that the addition of the selected surfactants improved the solubilisation of the hydrocarbons and influenced the electroosmotic flow with a slight decrease. The efficiency of the treatment increased for both considered soil samples and a significant degradation level of the hydrocarbons compounds was observed. Buffering of pH coupled with the addition of a complexing agent showed to be important in the treatment process, facilitating the conditions for the degradation reactions that take place into the soil matrix. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the selected techniques for remediation of the investigated soils. PMID:27183337

Microfluidic devices have grown significantly in the number of applications. Microfabrication techniques have evolved considerably; however, electric stimulation systems for microdevices have not advanced at the same pace. Electric stimulation of micro-fluidic devices is an important element in particle manipulation research. A flexible stimulation instrument is desired to perform configurable, repeatable, automated, and reliable experiments by allowing users to select the stimulation parameters. The instrument presented here is a configurable and programmable stimulation system for electrokinetic-driven microfluidic devices; it consists of a processor, a memory system, and a user interface to deliver several types of waveforms and stimulation patterns. It has been designed to be a flexible, highly configurable, low power instrument capable of delivering sine, triangle, and sawtooth waveforms with one single frequency or two superimposed frequencies ranging from 0.01 Hz to 40 kHz, and an output voltage of up to 30 Vpp. A specific stimulation pattern can be delivered over a single time period or as a sequence of different signals for different time periods. This stimulation system can be applied as a research tool where manipulation of particles suspended in liquid media is involved, such as biology, medicine, environment, embryology, and genetics. This system has the potential to lead to new schemes for laboratory procedures by allowing application specific and user defined electric stimulation. The development of this device is a step towards portable and programmable instrumentation for electric stimulation on electrokinetic-based microfluidic devices, which are meant to be integrated with lab-on-a-chip devices.

In this work, we simulate electrokinetically driven transport of unretained solute bands in a variety of two-dimensional spatially periodic geometries (post arrays as well as sinuous/varicose channels), in the thin Debye layer limit. Potential flow fields are calculated using either an inverse method or a Schwarz-Christoffel transform, and transport is modeled using a Monte Carlo method in the transformed plane. In this way, spurious "numerical diffusion" transverse to streamlines is completely eliminated, and streamwise numerical diffusion is reduced to arbitrary precision. Late-time longitudinal dispersion coefficients are calculated for Peclet numbers from 0.1 to 3162. In most geometries, a Taylor-Aris-like scaling law for the dispersion coefficient D(L)/D(L0) = 1 + Pe2/alpha underpredicts dispersion when Pe approximately O(alpha1/2) (here D(L0) is the effective axial diffusion coefficient in the periodic geometry). A two-parameter correlation widely used in the porous media literature, D(L)/D(L0) = 1 + Pe(n)/alpha, agrees slightly better, but much better agreement can be obtained using a new quadratic form: D(L)/D(L0) = 1 + Pe/alpha1 + Pe2/alpha2. A quasi-universal relationship for stream-wise dispersion is offered that predicts 96% of the simulation data to within a factor of 2 in all geometries studied. Comparison with previous work shows that in circular post arrays, the dispersion coefficient for electrokinetic flow is a factor of 3-10 less (depending on Pe and relative post size) than for pressure-driven flow. PMID:15858997

An upward electrokinetic soil remedial (UESR) technology was proposed to remove heavy metals from contaminated kaolin. Unlike conventional electrokinetic treatment that uses boreholes or trenches for horizontal migration of heavy metals, the UESR technology, applying vertical non-uniform electric fields, caused upward transportation of heavy metals to the top surface of the treated soil. The effects of current density, treatment duration, cell diameter, and different cathode chamber influent (distilled water or 0.01 M nitric acid) were studied. The removal efficiencies of heavy metals positively correlated to current density and treatment duration. Higher heavy metals removal efficiency was observed for the reactor cell with smaller diameter. A substantial amount of heavy metals was accumulated in the nearest to cathode 2 cm layer of kaolin when distilled water was continuously supplied to the cathode chamber. Heavy metals accumulated in this layer of kaolin can be easily excavated and disposed off. The main part of the removed heavy metals was dissolved in cathode chamber influent and moved away with cathode chamber effluent when 0.01 M nitric acid was used, instead of distilled water. Energy saving treatment by UESR technology with highest metal removal efficiencies was provided by two regimes: (1) by application of 0.01 M nitric acid as cathode chamber influent, cell diameter of 100 mm, duration of 18 days, and constant voltage of 3.5 V (19.7 k Wh/m(3) of kaolin) and (2) by application of 0.01 M nitric acid as cathode chamber influent, cell diameter of 100 cm, duration of 6 days, and constant current density of 0.191 mA/cm(2) (19.1 k Wh/m(3) of kaolin). PMID:16504386

The development of unconventional reservoirs provides new challenges to the petrophysicist; challenges that might be overcome with new techniques and approaches. The application of electro-kinetics to hydrocarbon reservoirs is relatively recent. In fact, up until 2012 there was no theoretical model that was capable of predicting the streaming potential coefficient of a rock with given petrophysical properties (Glover et al., 2012). Here, we use that model to ask the question whether the measurement of electro-kinetic properties of tight gas sands and gas shales could be useful in the development of these resources. We have calculated the streaming potential coefficient for gas shales with typical values of porosity, cementation exponent and grain size as a function of pore fluid salinity (10-5 to 2 mol/dm3) and pH (pH 5-9) at the temperatures and pressures encountered in shale gas reservoirs. For typical gas shales such as the Barnett shale (grain diameter 0.1 μ m, porosity 2.5 % and 5 μ D, respectively) the streaming potential coefficient is less than 2×10-10 V/Pa for all the modelled salinities and pHs. This is extremely small, and would only result in a streaming potential of the order of millivolts even during hydraulic fracturing at 10 kpsi, while deep monitoring of fluid flow would be impossible. Similar modelling of typical tight gas sands (grain diameter 3 μ m, porosity 5 %, permeability 0.1 mD) provides a higher streaming potential coefficients, reaching 10-7 V/Pa at low salinities (

The family Baculoviridae is a large group of insect viruses containing circular double-stranded DNA genomes of 80 to 180 kbp, which have broad biotechnological applications. A key feature to understand and manipulate them is the recognition of orthology. However, the differences in gene contents and evolutionary distances among the known members of this family make it difficult to assign sequence orthology. In this study, the genome sequences of 58 baculoviruses were analyzed, with the aim to detect previously undescribed core genes because of their remote homology. A routine based on Multi PSI-Blast/tBlastN and Multi HaMStR allowed us to detect 31 of 33 accepted core genes and 4 orthologous sequences in the Baculoviridae which were not described previously. Our results show that the ac53, ac78, ac101 (p40), and ac103 (p48) genes have orthologs in all genomes and should be considered core genes. Accordingly, there are 37 orthologous genes in the family Baculoviridae. PMID:22933288

Presents an effective way to demonstrate the difference between direct current and alternating current using red and green LEDs. Describes how to make a tool that shows how an AC voltage changes with time using the afterimage effect of the LEDs. (Author/NB)

Semiconductor ac static power switch has long life and high reliability, contains no moving parts, and operates satisfactorily in severe environments, including high vibration and shock conditions. Due to their resistance to shock and vibration, static switches are used where accidental switching caused by mechanical vibration or shock cannot be tolerated.

Circuit cuts no-load losses, without sacrificing full-load power. Phase-contro circuit includes gate-controlled semiconductor switch that cuts off applied voltage for most of ac cycle if generator idling. Switch "on" time increases when generator is in operation.

The electrokinetic properties (such as capillary conductance, electroviscosity, and the streaming potential) are obtained for a restricted primitive model electrolyte confined in a slitlike nanopore made up of two infinite parallel plates and in a cylindrical cavity of infinite extension. The hypernetted chain/mean spherical approximation (HNC/MSA) is used to obtain the equilibrium ionic concentration profiles inside the pores, which in turn are used to calculate the electrokinetic properties via linear hydrodynamic equations. Our results are compared with those obtained via the classical Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theory. Important quantitative and qualitative effects, attributed to geometry and to the proper consideration of short-range correlations by HNC/MSA, are discussed. PMID:19062031

Separating particles from a heterogeneous mixture is important and necessary in many engineering and biomedical applications. Electrokinetic flow-based continuous particle separation has thus far been realized primarily by the use of particle dielectrophoresis induced in constricted and/or curved microchannels. We develop in this work a new electrokinetic method that exploits the wall-induced non-inertial lift in a straight uniform microchannel to continuously separate particles by intrinsic properties (e.g., size and surface charge). Such an electrically originated lift force arises from the asymmetric electric field distribution around a particle nearby a planar dielectric wall. We demonstrate this method through separating both a binary and ternary mixture of dispersed polystyrene microspheres by size in a T-shaped microchannel. A semi-analytical model is also developed to simulate and understand the particle separation process. The predicted particle trajectories in the entire microchannel agree reasonably well with the experimental measurements. PMID:25521509

In the years following the 1986 seminal paper (J. Chromatogr. Sci., 24, 347-352) describing modern capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), the prominence of capillary electrokinetic separation techniques has grown. A related electrochromatographic technique is micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC). This report presents a brief synopsis of research efforts during the current 3-year period. In addition to a description of analytical separations-based research, results of efforts to develop and expand spectrometric detection for the techniques is reviewed. Laser fluorometric detection schemes have been successfully advanced. Mass spectrometric research was less fruitful, largely owing to personnel limitations. A regenerable fiber optic sensor was developed that can be used to remotely monitor chemical carcinogens, etc. (DLC)

This study aims to characterize the physical distribution of heavy metals in kaolin soil and the chemical and structural changes in kaolinite minerals that result from electrokinetic remediation. Three bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were conducted on kaolin that was spiked with Cr(VI) alone, Ni (II) alone, and a combination of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cd(II) under a constant electric potential of 1VDC/cm for a total duration of 4 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed on the soil samples before and after electrokinetic remediation. Results showed that the heavy metal contaminant distribution in the soil samples was not observable using TEM and EDX. EDX detected nickel and chromium on some kaolinite particles and titanium-rich, high-contrast particles, but no separate phases containing the metal contaminants were detected. Small amounts of heavy metal contaminants that were detected by EDX in the absence of a visible phase suggest that ions are adsorbed to kaolinite particle surfaces as a thin coating. There was also no clear correlation between semiquantitative analysis of EDX spectra and measured total metal concentrations, which may be attributed to low heavy metal concentrations and small size of samples used. X-ray diffraction analyses were aimed to detect any structural changes in kaolinite minerals resulting from EK. The diffraction patterns showed a decrease in peak height with decreasing soil pH value, which indicates possible dissolution of kaolinite minerals during electrokinetic remediation. Overall this study showed that the changes in particle morphology were found to be insignificant, but a relationship was found between the crystallinity of kaolin and the pH changes induced by the applied electric potential. PMID:19013716

Circuit protects ac power systems for overload failures, limits power surge and short-circuit currents to 150 percent of steady state level, regulates ac output voltage, and soft starts loads. Limiter generates dc error signal in response to line fluctuations and dumps power when overload is reached. Device is inserted between ac source and load.

In situ remediation technologies for contaminated soils are faced with significant technical challenges when the contaminated soil has low permeability. Popular traditional technologies are rendered ineffective due to the difficulty encountered in accessing the contaminants as well as when employed in settings where the soil contains mixed contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and polar organics. In this study, an integrated in situ remediation technique that couples electrokinetics with adsorption, using locally produced granular activated carbon from date palm pits in the treatment zones that are installed directly to bracket the contaminated soils at bench-scale, is investigated. Natural saline-sodic soil, spiked with contaminant mixture (kerosene, phenol, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg), was used in this study to investigate the efficiency of contaminant removal. For the 21-day period of continuous electrokinetics-adsorption experimental run, efficiency for the removal of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, phenol, and kerosene was found to reach 26.8, 55.8, 41.0, 34.4, 75.9, 92.49, 100.0, and 49.8%, respectively. The results obtained suggest that integrating adsorption into electrokinetic technology is a promising solution for removal of contaminant mixture from saline-sodic soils. PMID:24235885

Electrokinetic (EK) injection has recently been proposed to supply nutrients and electron acceptors in bioremediation of low permeable soils. However, effective pH control and uniform injection of inorganic ions have yet to be developed. The present study investigated a new EK injection pattern, which combined electrolyte circulation and electrode polarity reversal on a clayey soil. Soil pH could be controlled ranging from 7.0 to 7.6 by circulating the mixed electrolyte at a suitable rate (800 mL/h in this study) without any buffer. Ammonium and nitrate ions were distributed more uniformly in soil by electrode polarity reversal. The developed electrokinetic injection technology was applied primarily in bioremediation of phenanthrene contaminated soil. Over 80% of the initial 200mg/kg phenanthrene in soil could be removed in 20 d, and greater phenanthrene removal was achieved using electrode polarity reversal. Hence, the present study provides a promising electrokinetic injection technology for bioremediation of contaminated soils. PMID:20870357

In situ remediation technologies for contaminated soils are faced with significant technical challenges when the contaminated soil has low permeability. Popular traditional technologies are rendered ineffective due to the difficulty encountered in accessing the contaminants as well as when employed in settings where the soil contains mixed contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and polar organics. In this study, an integrated in situ remediation technique that couples electrokinetics with adsorption, using locally produced granular activated carbon from date palm pits in the treatment zones that are installed directly to bracket the contaminated soils at bench-scale, is investigated. Natural saline-sodic soil, spiked with contaminant mixture (kerosene, phenol, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg), was used in this study to investigate the efficiency of contaminant removal. For the 21-day period of continuous electrokinetics-adsorption experimental run, efficiency for the removal of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, phenol, and kerosene was found to reach 26.8, 55.8, 41.0, 34.4, 75.9, 92.49, 100.0, and 49.8%, respectively. The results obtained suggest that integrating adsorption into electrokinetic technology is a promising solution for removal of contaminant mixture from saline-sodic soils. PMID:24235885

Kaolins contaminated with heavy metals, Cu and Pb, and organic compounds, p-xylene and phenanthrene, were treated with an upward electrokinetic soil remediation (UESR) process. The effects of current density, cathode chamber flushing fluid, treatment duration, reactor size, and the type of contaminants under the vertical non-uniform electric field of UESR on the simultaneous removal of the heavy metals and organic contaminants were studied. The removal efficiencies of p-xylene and phenanthrene were higher in the experiments with cells of smaller diameter or larger height, and with distilled water flow in the cathode chamber. The removal efficiency of Cu and Pb were higher in the experiments with smaller diameter or shorter height cells and 0.01M HNO(3) solution as cathode chamber flow. In spite of different conditions for removal of heavy metals and organics, it is possible to use the upward electrokinetic soil remediation process for their simultaneous removal. Thus, in the experiments with duration of 6 days removal efficiencies of phenanthrene, p-xylene, Cu and Pb were 67%, 93%, 62% and 35%, respectively. The experiment demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous removal of organic contaminants and heavy metals from kaolin using the upward electrokinetic soil remediation process. PMID:17110023

A microfabricated device and method for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material is described. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a microchip that is adapted for the simultaneous spatial confinement of electrokinetically driven fluidic material streams on a substrate. The apparatus includes a focusing chamber formed in a surface of the substrate and in fluid communication with two sample fluid channels and three focusing fluid channels. The device further includes electromotive means operatively connected to the sources of the sample fluid and the source of focusing fluid for electrokinetically driving the respective streams of the sample and focusing fluids through the respective channels into the focusing chamber such that the focusing fluid streams spatially confine the first and second sample fluid streams within the focusing chamber. In accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a cytometry method for analyzing microscopic particles in a fluid medium on a microchip by utilizing the focusing function of the microchip. In the disclosed cytometry process the width of the fluid stream is narrowed in the focusing chamber. The microscopic particles in the focused sample fluid are then detected and/or measured using light scattering or other techniques.

The past decade has seen the rapid development of synthetic particles capable of propelling themselves at the micro- and nanometer scale through aqueous media. Several groundbreaking experiments have shown these so-called "nanomotors" to be capable of performing several useful microscale tasks. However, alongside this progress, the need has arisen to understand the physical mechanisms governing their motion, as well as the limitations on their capabilities. Explanations of the propulsion mechanisms driving synthetic nanomotors are critical not only for providing insight into novel physical phenomena, but also to guide and inform the design and implementation of nanomotors and nanomachines. Bimetallic rods, 2 microns in length, were first shown to move autonomously using hydrogen peroxide fuel in 2004. Since then, a number of theories have been proposed to explain how these particles convert chemical energy in the hydrogen peroxide to kinetic energy of motion. The leading theory states that the rod functions as a short-circuited electrochemical cell, with electrochemical reactions occurring asymmetrically on its surface. These reactions are thought to generate an electric field, which propels the particle via electrophoresis. However, until now, this mechanism has not received a rigorous theoretical treatment as it applies to bimetallic rods, hindering the development of these particles for practical applications. The goals of this dissertation are (i) to understand physically the motion of self-propelling metallic particles with electrochemical surface reactions, and (ii) to characterize the limitations on the propulsion mechanism. To accomplish these goals, I construct a complete numerical model for the motors using the finite-element method. The model includes the coupled Poisson-Nernst-Planck-Stokes equations with Frumkin-corrected Butler-Volmer boundary conditions to represent the surface reactions. I devote special attention to the transport phenomena occurring in the interfacial layer near the particle/solution interface, which play a key role in the locomotion. The model enables one to understand how the rods' motion depends on the properties of their environment, such as hydrogen peroxide concentration, solution electrical conductivity, and solution viscosity. The numerical simulations are complemented with a scaling analysis based on the governing equations, which makes definite, verifiable predictions of these dependences. One of the most important trends that has been observed experimentally is the significant decrease in speed induced by adding sub-millimolar concentrations of inert electrolyte. It is important to understand the physical reasons for the electrolyte-induced speed decrease, in order to know whether it is fundamental to this propulsion mechanism, or if there is some feasible means to circumvent it. Successful completion of this research will result in an improved understanding of the capabilities, as well as the risks and limits of applicability, of the bimetallic nanomotors for applications in nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Potential applications of the rods include the targeted delivery of drugs in the human body, sensing of chemical impurities in drinking water, and as engines to drive fabrication of microscale structures.

A system and method for the transport and distribution of both AC (alternating current) power and DC (direct current) power over wiring infrastructure normally used for distributing AC power only, for example, residential and/or commercial buildings' electrical wires is disclosed and taught. The system and method permits the combining of AC and DC power sources and the simultaneous distribution of the resulting power over the same wiring. At the utilization site a complementary device permits the separation of the DC power from the AC power and their reconstruction, for use in conventional AC-only and DC-only devices.

Rapid electrokinetic patterning (REP) is an emerging optoelectric technique that takes advantage of laser-induced AC electrothermal flow and particle-electrode interactions to trap and translate particles. The electrothermal flow in REP is driven by the temperature rise induced by the laser absorption in the thin electrode layer. In previous REP applications 350-700 nm indium tin oxide (ITO) layers have been used as electrodes. In this study, we show that ITO is an inefficient electrode choice as more than 92% of the irradiated laser on the ITO electrodes is transmitted without absorption. Using theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, we demonstrate that for a given laser power the temperature rise is controlled by both the electrode material and its thickness. A 25-nm thick Ti electrode creates an electrothermal flow of the same speed as a 700-nm thick ITO electrode while requiring only 14% of the laser power used by ITO. These results represent an important step in the design of low-cost portable REP systems by lowering the material cost and power consumption of the system. PMID:26613811

An auto-ranging ac resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an ac excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance.

The characteristics of migration and its influencing factor of cadmium in sandy loam soil by uniform electrokinetics as well as the adsorption property by a new material-bamboo charcoal were investigated through bench-scale experiments, and the feasibility of using electrokinetic technique combined with the newly developed bamboo charcoal for remediation of cadmium contaminated soils was analyzed as well. The results show that the bamboo charcoal is good adsorption material which has comparably strong adsorption effect on Cd, bearing potential in future use, which could be simulated by both Freundlich and Langmuir models (R2 > 0.96). The migration rates of cadmium in sandy loam were high up to 0. 6786 - 0.6875cm/h under an electric gradient of 1.0V/cm, depending upon the concentration of cadmium and the distribution of electric field density. Electrokinetics effectively transported the heavy metal in the soil. In the new electrokinetic tech combining the bamboo charcoal with the same electric gradient above under the polarity reversal period of 48 hours, the cadmium in the soil could be wiped off with high efficiency (removal efficiency 79.6% in 12 days) and the pH together with water content could be well retained. The electric current in the process changed periodically according to the reversal. As a new technique, the electrokinetic movement-bamboo charcoal adsorption holds high potential in future use. PMID:17926419

In this work, we focus on frequency-dependence of pearl chain formations (PCF) of gold nanoparticles driven by AC dielectrophoresis (DEP), especially in a low field-frequency range, where induced double-layer charging effect at ideally polarizable surfaces on particle DEP behavior and surrounding liquid motion need not be negligible. As field frequency varies, grown features of DEP assembly structures ranging from low-frequency non-bridged gap to high-frequency single gold nanoparticle-made nanowires bridging the electrodes are demonstrated experimentally. Specifically, at 10 kHz, a kind of novel channel-like structure with parallel opposing banks is formed at the center of interelectrode gap. In stark contrast, at 1 MHz, thin PCF with diameter of 100 nm is created along the shortest distance of the isolation spacing. Moreover, a particular conductive path of nanoparticle chains is produced at 1 MHz in a DEP device embedded with multiple floating electrodes. A theoretical framework taking into account field-induced double-layer polarization at both the particle/electrolyte and electrode/electrolyte interface is developed to correlate these experimental observations with induced-charge electrokinetic (ICEK) phenomenon. And a RC circuit model is helpful in accounting for the formation of this particular non-bridged channel-like structure induced by a low-frequency AC voltage. As compared to thin PCF formed at high field frequency that effectively short circuits the electrode pair, though it is difficult for complete PCF bridging to occur at low frequency, the non-bridged conducting microstructure has potential to further miniaturize the size of electrode gap fabricated by standard micromachining process and may find useful application in biochemical sensing.

The interfacial structure of natural rubber (NR) colloids is investigated by means of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and electrokinetics over a broad range of KNO3 electrolyte concentrations (4-300 mM) and pH values (1-8). The asymptotic plateau value reached by NR electrophoretic mobility (μ) in the thin double layer limit supports the presence of a soft (ion- and water-permeable) polyelectrolytic type of layer located at the periphery of the NR particles. This property is confirmed by the analysis of the electron density profile obtained from cryo-TEM that evidences a ∼2-4 nm thick corona surrounding the NR polyisoprene core. The dependence of μ on pH and salt concentration is further marked by a dramatic decrease of the point of zero electrophoretic mobility (PZM) from 3.6 to 0.8 with increasing electrolyte concentration in the range 4-300 mM. Using a recent theory for electrohydrodynamics of soft multilayered particles, this "anomalous" dependence of the PZM on electrolyte concentration is shown to be consistent with a radial organization of anionic and cationic groups across the peripheral NR structure. The NR electrokinetic response in the pH range 1-8 is indeed found to be equivalent to that of particles surrounded by a positively charged ∼3.5 nm thick layer (mean dissociation pK ∼ 4.2) supporting a thin and negatively charged outermost layer (0.6 nm in thickness, pK ∼ 0.7). Altogether, the strong dependence of the PZM on electrolyte concentration suggests that the electrostatic properties of the outer peripheral region of the NR shell are mediated by lipidic residues protruding from a shell containing a significant amount of protein-like charges. This proposed NR shell interfacial structure questions previously reported NR representations according to which the shell consists of either a fully mixed lipid-protein layer, or a layer of phospholipids residing exclusively beneath an outer proteic film. PMID:24152085

Concrete is a porous material which is susceptible to the migration of highly deleterious species such as chlorides and sulfates. Various external sources, including sea salt spray, direct seawater wetting, deicing salts and chlorides can contaminate reinforced concrete. Chlorides diffuse into the capillary pores of concrete and come into contact with the reinforcement. When chloride concentration at the reinforcement exceeds a threshold level it breaks down the passive oxide layer, leading to chloride induced corrosion. The application of electrokinetics using positively charged nanoparticles for corrosion protection in reinforced concrete structures is an emerging technology. This technique involves the principle of electrophoretic migration of nanoparticles to hinder chloride diffusion in the concrete. The return of chlorides is inhibited by the electrodeposited assembly of the nanoparticles at the reinforcement interface. This work examined the nanoparticle treatment impact on chloride and sulfate induced corrosion in concrete. Electrokinetic Nanoparticle (EN) treatments were conducted on reinforced cylindrical concrete, rectangular ASTM G109 specimens that simulate a bridge deck and full scale beam specimens. EN treatment to mitigate external sulfate attack in concrete was performed on cylindrical concrete specimens. Corrosion results indicated lower corrosion potentials and rates as compared to the untreated specimens. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a dense microstructure within the EN treated specimens. Chemical analysis (Raman spectroscopy, X ray-diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR) showed the presence of strength enhancing phases such as calcium aluminate hydrate (C-A-H) and increased amounts of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) within the EN treated specimens. Strength and porosity results showed an increase in strength and a reduction in porosity among the EN treated specimens. EN treatment acted as a protective

Low pressure and microchannel gas flows are characterized by high Knudsen numbers. Liquid flows in microchannels are characterized by non-conventional driving potentials like electrokinetic forces. The main thrust of the dissertation is to investigate these two different kinds of flows in gases and liquids respectively. High Knudsen number (Kn) gas flows were characterized by 'rarified' or 'microscale' behavior. Because of significant non-continuum effect, traditional CFD techniques are often inaccurate for analyzing high Kn number gas flows. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method offers an alternative to traditional CFD which retains its validity in slip and transition flow regimes. To validate the DSMC code, comparisons of simulation results with theoretical analysis and experimental data are made. The DSMC method was first applied to compute low pressure, high Kn flow fields in partially heated two dimensional channels. The effects of varying pressure, inlet flow and gas transport properties (Kn, Reynolds number, Re and the Prandtl number, Pr respectively) on the wall heat transfer (Nusselt number, Nu) were examined. The DSMC method was employed to explore mixing gas flows in two dimensional microchannels. Mixing of two gas streams (H2 and O2) was considered within a microchannel. The effect of the inlet-outlet pressure difference, the pressure ratio of the incoming streams and the accommodation coefficient of the solid wall on mixing length were all examined. Parallelization of a three-dimensional DSMC code was implemented using OpenMP procedure on a shared memory multi-processor computer. The parallel code was used to simulate 3D high Kn number Couette flow and the flow characteristics are found to be very different from their continuum counterparts. A mathematical model describing electrokinetically driven mass transport phenomena in microfabricated chip devices will also be presented. The model accounts for the principal physical phenomena affecting

The adsorption of metanil yellow (3- {{4-(phenylamino) phenyl }azo} benzene sulfonate) and colloidal silica on a commercially available, positively charge-modified nylon 66 membrane (N66 Posidyne) with an isoelectric point (IEP) of 7.6 was investigated. Challenge testing of N66 Posidyne with a 2.3 ppm colloidal silica dispersion has shown that the membrane adsorbed 0.015 mug of colloidal silica per cm ^2. At a pH of 5.1, the adsorption of metanil yellow was found to increase with its solution concentration and reached a saturation value of 2.2 times 10^{14} ions/cm ^2 at a solution concentration of 1.49 times 10^{ -5}M. A technique to incorporate positively charged groups onto the surface of microporous polypropylene and polyvinylidene fluoride membrane filters for the filtration of liquids used in the semiconductor industry has been developed using gamma-irradiation. The electrical characteristics of prepared membranes were measured by streaming potential and dye challenge tests. The compatibility of these charge-modified membranes with ultrapure water was investigated. Results show that these charge-modified membranes are characterized by a positive zeta potential in the pH range from 4 to 9.3. From the dye challenge tests at a pH of 5.0, the density of positively charged sites on charge-modified membranes was calculated to be approximately five times larger than that of unmodified membranes. The modified membranes released less than 1 ppb of total organic carbon (TOC) into ultrapure water and thus appear to have potential for use in DI water system. The electrokinetic characteristics of silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride wafers subjected to different cleaning procedures were measured using a streaming potential technique. A streaming potential cell for handling 5^{''} wafers was designed and fabricated to make these measurements. The isoelectric point of silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride was dependent on the cleaning method. Polystyrene

Chemical analysis is being performed in devices operated at ever decreasing length scales in order to harness the fundamental benefits of micro and nanoscale phenomena while minimizing operating footprint and sample size. The advantages of moving traditional sample or chemical processing steps (e.g. separation, detection, and reaction) into micro- and nanofluidic devices have been demonstrated, and they arise from the relatively rapid rates of heat and mass transport at small length scales. The use of electrochemical methods in micro/nanoscale systems to control and improve these processes holds great promise. Unfortunately, much is still not understood about the coupling of multiple electrode driven processes in a confined environment nor about the fundamental changes in device performance that occur as geometries approach the nanoscale regime. At the nanoscale a significant fraction of the sample volume is in close contact with the device surface, i.e. most of the sample is contained within electronic or diffusion layers associated with surface charge or surface reactions, respectively. The work presented in this thesis aims to understand some fundamental different behaviors observed in micro/nanofluidic structures, particularly those containing one or more embedded, metallic electrode structures. First, a quantitative method is devised to describe the impact of electric fields on electrochemistry in multi-electrode micro/nanofluidic systems. Next the chemical manipulation of small volumes (≤ 10-13 L) in micro/nanofluidic structures is explored by creating regions of high pH and high dissolved gas (H 2) concentration through the electrolysis of H2O. Massively parallel arrays of nanochannel electrodes, or embedded annular nanoband electrodes (EANEs), are then studied with a focus on achieving enhanced signals due to coupled electrokinetic and electrochemical effects. In EANE devices, electroosmotic flow results from the electric field generated between the

In this work, microfluidic platforms have been designed and evaluated to demonstrate microscale DNA purification via organic (phenol) extraction as well as analyte trapping and concentration using a transverse electrokinetic force balance. First, in order to evaluate DNA purification via phenol extraction in a microdevice, an aqueous phase containing protein and DNA and an immiscible receiving organic phase were utilized to evaluate microfluidic DNA extraction under both stratified and droplet-based flow conditions using a serpentine microfluidic device. The droplet based flow resulted in a significant improvement of protein partitioning from the aqueous phase due to the flow recirculation inside each droplet improving material convective transport into the organic phase. The plasmid recovery from bacterial lysates using droplet-based flow was high (>92%) and comparable to the recovery achieved using commercial DNA purification kits and standard macroscale phenol extraction. Second, a converging Y-inlet microfluidic channel with integrated coplanar electrodes was used to investigate transverse DNA and protein migration under uniform direct current (DC) electric fields. Negatively charged samples diluted in low and high ionic strength buffers were co-infused with a receiving buffer of the same ionic strength into a main channel where transverse electric fields were applied. Experimental results demonstrated that charged analytes could traverse the channel width and accumulate at the positive bias electrode in a low electroosmotic mobility and high electrophoretic mobility condition (high ionic strength buffer) or migrated towards an equilibrium position within the channel when both electroosmotic mobility and electrophoretic mobility are high (low ionic strength buffer). The different behaviors are the result of a balance between the electrophoretic force and a drag force induced by a recirculating electroosmotic flow generated across the channel width due to the

Single-molecule fluorescence measurements allow researchers to study asynchronous dynamics and expose molecule-to-molecule structural and behavioral diversity, which contributes to the understanding of biological macromolecules. To provide measurements that are most consistent with the native environment of biomolecules, researchers would like to conduct these measurements in the solution phase if possible. However, diffusion typically limits the observation time to approximately 1 ms in many solution-phase single-molecule assays. Although surface immobilization is widely used to address this problem, this process can perturb the system being studied and contribute to the observed heterogeneity. Combining the technical capabilities of high-sensitivity single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, real-time feedback control and electrokinetic flow in a microfluidic chamber, we have developed a device called the anti-Brownian electrokinetic (ABEL) trap to significantly prolong the observation time of single biomolecules in solution. We have applied the ABEL trap method to explore the photodynamics and enzymatic properties of a variety of biomolecules in aqueous solution and present four examples: the photosynthetic antenna allophycocyanin, the chaperonin enzyme TRiC, a G protein-coupled receptor protein, and the blue nitrite reductase redox enzyme. These examples illustrate the breadth and depth of information which we can extract in studies of single biomolecules with the ABEL trap. When confined in the ABEL trap, the photosynthetic antenna protein allophycocyanin exhibits rich dynamics both in its emission brightness and its excited state lifetime. As each molecule discontinuously converts from one emission/lifetime level to another in a primarily correlated way, it undergoes a series of state changes. We studied the ATP binding stoichiometry of the multi-subunit chaperonin enzyme TRiC in the ABEL trap by counting the number of hydrolyzed Cy3-ATP using stepwise

Micro and nanofluidic systems are ideal platforms for breakthrough bioanalytical tools. In particular, transport in nanoscale channels has been shown to be different than microscale systems because of unique coupled physics associated with wall interactions, electrokinetic surface phenomena and hydrodynamic confinement. Furthermore, understanding the effects of reaction kinetics during capillary electrophoresis is necessary for reliable bioanalytical tools with reacting species. We present experimental data and numerical simulation to elucidate the dominant physics at these lengths scales toward enabling nanofluidic bioanalytical devices. First, we present an experimental study to measure the effect channel height and ionic strength on the electrophoretic mobility of spherical nanoparticles and short single strand (ss) and double strand (ds) DNA with channel depths ranging from 20 microns to 100 nm. We find increased hydrodynamic drag in confinement, nanoparticle rotation effects for spherical analytes in sheer flows, non-uniform electro-osmotic velocity profiles, and electrostatic repulsion of thick electric double layers to be important effects on transport. Second, we present an experimental study of electrokinetic separations of short, complementary ss and dsDNA in microchannels. We find different phenomena are significant for the three different DNA lengths in the study (10nt, 20nt, and 50nt). Reaction kinetic effects are significant for the shortest length DNA, where the melting temperature is comparable to room temperature. For longer 20 and 50nt DNA, the melting temperatures are sufficiently high and reaction kinetic effects are constant. In addition, the 50 nt ssDNA contour length is greater than the persistence length and we find changes in electrophoretic mobility with ionic strength resulting from changes in conformation. Finally, we present numerical simulations of the previous study on separations of reacting DNA. Reaction kinetics can affect the

The combined use of electrokinetic remediation and phytoremediation to decontaminate soil polluted with heavy metals has been demonstrated in a laboratory-scale experiment. The plants species selected were rapeseed and tobacco. Three kinds of soil were used: un-contaminated soil from forest area (S1), artificially contaminated soil with 15mgkg(-1) Cd (S2) and multi-contaminated soil with Cd, Zn and Pb from an industrial area (S3). Three treatment conditions were applied to the plants growing in the experimental vessels: control (no electrical field), alternating current electrical field (AC, 1Vcm(-1)) and direct current electrical field (DC, 1Vcm(-1)) with switching polarity every 3h. The electrical fields were applied for 30d for rapeseed and 90d for tobacco, each experiment had three replicates. After a total of 90d growth for rapeseed and of 180d for tobacco, the plants were harvested. The pH variation from anode to cathode was eliminated by switching the polarity of the DC field. The plants reacted differently under the applied electrical field. Rapeseed biomass was enhanced under the AC field and no negative effect was found under DC field. However, no enhancement of the tobacco biomass under the AC treatment was found. The DC field had a negative influence on biomass production on tobacco plants. In general, Cd content was higher in both species growing in S2 treated with AC field compared to the control. Metal uptake (Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb) per rapeseed plant shoot was enhanced by the application of AC field in all soils. PMID:21237480

A diagnostic technique is presented to determine the electrode work function in ac-operated metal halide lamps. The heart of the experimental set-up is a high-speed photodiode array detector, which is able to follow real-time variations of electrode tip temperature and near-electrode plasma emissions in ac-operated experimental YAG lamps, enabling discrimination between the anode and cathode effects. Electrode tip temperature ripples have been measured for 100 Hz square wave operation and simulated with an existing electrode model. By using the electrode work function as main fit parameter for the simulations it is found that the measured cooling effect of the electrode tip in a NaTlDy-iodide lamp is caused by a gas-phase emitter effect of Dy. It is concluded that Dy coverage of the electrode tip causes an effective work function reduction of 0.3 eV at 100 Hz square wave operation, considerably less than the 1.0 eV reduction measured earlier for dc operation.

Conformational changes of individual fluorescently labeled proteins can be followed in solution using a confocal microscope. Two fluorophores attached to selected domains of the protein report fluctuating conformations. Based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between these fluorophores on a single protein, sequential distance changes between the dyes provide the real time trajectories of protein conformations. However, observation times are limited for freely diffusing biomolecules by Brownian motion through the confocal detection volume. A. E. Cohen and W. E. Moerner have invented and built microfluidic devices with 4 electrodes for an Anti-Brownian Electrokinetic Trap (ABELtrap). Here we present an ABELtrap based on a laser focus pattern generated by a pair of acousto-optical beam deflectors and controlled by a programmable FPGA chip. Fluorescent 20-nm beads in solution were used to mimic freely diffusing large proteins like solubilized FoF1-ATP synthase. The ABELtrap could hold these nanobeads for about 10 seconds at the given position. Thereby, observation times of a single particle were increased by a factor of 1000.

A simple and rapid micellar electrokinetic chromatography method was developed for simultaneous determination of indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid, gibberellic acid, abscisic acid and naphthylacetic acid in mungbean sprouts for monitoring plant growth and development. The effects of several parameters related to the separation and determination were investigated in detail. The analysis was carried out using 10 mM borax, 10 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 90 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 5% acetonitrile as running buffer (pH 9.0). Under optimum conditions, the method demonstrated good performance concerning linearity (r, 0.9954-0.9991), precision (0.77-4.97%), the method limit of detection (LOD) and the method limit of quantitation (LOQ) (LOD, 0.011-0.177 mg/kg; LOQ, 0.035-0.590 mg/kg) and accuracy (83.62-102.56%). The results confirmed that the method is rapid, convenient and of low cost for the determination of the phytohormones. PMID:23845886